Posted on 05/09/2005 4:58:03 PM PDT by Scenic Sounds
WASHINGTON The Bush Administration wants every American to have a personal health record within a decade, and the Internet could make that possible. The American Medical Association and several other physicians organizations have launched i-HealthRecord, a free service that encourages consumers to file their medical records in a secure database. Ninety-thousand physicians have linked their web sites to the service. Ten-thousand people have already signed up.
Proponents say the information is more secure than records stored in a doctor's office. They also say the service could improve treatment for travelers and help those involved in caring for children or elderly relatives who don't live close by.
That should satisfy any skeptics, shouldn't it?
I try to avoid doctors.
My prescription for you: Add lawyers to your list. ;-)
To do something like this for 'living wills' would make sense. I think there is a mess of folks who would not want to get starved to death even if they were in poor condition.
This is NOT a good idea, imo. And it's not something I will ever do or permit, if it's within my power to stop.
Until the day you're found unconscious and failing in a hotel lobby. On that day I hope the local hospital can get instant access to your entire medical history.
I wonder how Bill Clinton feels about this, he never would let us get close to his medical records.
Hospitals can already get access to your medical information when they need it.
I don't need hackers getting it.
I'm getting mighty ticked off about a whole lotta stuff.
Big Brother IS here and among us. This whole socialism thing is happening right before our eyes....and most of the nation is in La La Land...
(My company, i3ARCHIVE, Inc. is doing a lot of work on this universe of problems. Our National Digital Medical Archive contains the largest collection of digital medical records ever assembled.)
Actually, they can't, for the most part. The only mutually intelligible standard is a photocopy in a FedEx envelope. And as for images, well, generally the patient has to pick them up and deliver them personally.
I don't need hackers getting it.
Do you trust your bank to transfer your funds securely? They do that online, you know. Same technology.
So I gather you think this is a good idea. I'll have to think about it but you've raised good points.
Specifically, I'd like to know how this system would NOT be used to deny health coverage to people with the "wrong" genetics.
The fact that my funds are secure from actual theft doesn't convince me that knowledge that they exist is secure. I sort of assume that a lot of my financial information is available to a lot of people that I've never had anything to do with directly.
I not only acknowledge your fears, but I am often the first to raise them at corporate meetings and industry conferences.
Perhaps you can describe the steps that are being taken to deal with our qualms.
I'd love to. I'd brag until you all begged for mercy. But having seen a major patent recently crash to the ground because somebody let slip a (seemingly) trivial detail on a lecture slide several years ago, well...let's just say that I know all about the paranoia that comes with putting certain records online! ;^)
Specifically, I'd like to know how this system would NOT be used to deny health coverage to people with the "wrong" genetics.
That's a legal question, and not a technical one. The relevant mechanism is HIPAA, the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996. Yes, Clinton did something right.
Something *does* need to be done about the problem of medical records. I believe that it is one of the reasons why medical costs are so high. When you deal with multiple doctors for an illness, you are likely to get the same medical tests over and over, unless you are paying attention. And even if you do pay attention, getting the appropriate records to each doctor is a headache that I can't deal with. I tried and failed. I gave up, so now I have repeat medical tests all the time. Otherwise the coordination between doctors is impossible. Patients should have access to ALL of their medical records and have the ability to give that information to any doctor that needs it.
Have you ever tried to get a copy of your medical records? After a recent hospital stay, I had to pay .75/page for copies. There were 100 pages! That is not practical at all. I shouldn't have to pay twice to get information from my doctor (once for him to see me, again to get copies of my records).
I don't know if this central database is the answer, but we do need a solution to this problem.
And there's some tension between those interests. ;-)
Is Bush really conservative? I'm beginning to wonder.
Do you have problem with your doctor or clinic keeping an electronic medical record on you?
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