Consideration #1: Physicians have hundreds of patients and therefore hundreds of stored medical files.
We know our bodies better than anyone else knows them and there is only one of us. The doctor may be personally familiar with us, but he is personally familiar with many patients. Files can be misplaced, or it is possible for patient information to be accidentally placed in another patient’s file. This makes it important for you to have control over your own information.
Consideration #2: In an emergency, your medical care may be in the hands of medical personnel who have no idea about your past medical history.
An emergency room physician is like a medical detective. The physician has to assess your condition very quickly and prescribe treatment, sometimes not knowing anything about your medical history. If you are traveling and you become unconscious, emergency room personnel may have to make split second decisions without knowing anything about you. These decisions may affect your health and your recovery, especially if you have preexisting conditions that the medical personnel do not know about.
Consideration #3: Multiple health issues are often treated by different physicians who specialize in each specific health condition
If this happens, medications for each condition can be prescribed. In some instances, the patient may not be completely knowledgeable about the different medications that he/she is taking, or may be so overwhelmed that he/she is not communicating all important information to each specialist. Sometimes drugs are prescribed that can cause drug interactions with other medications. This can be debilitating and sometimes life threatening.
Health History: The Importance of Privacy and Security
The privacy of health information has become such a hot topic that there are laws in place to protect US Citizens in the transfer of health information. This makes it very important that records are stored on secure servers that cannot be accessed by outside parties. When inquiring about this type of service, it is important to question the security measures taken to ensure that your records are safe and only accessible to you, or persons authorized by you. The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), has caused a policy change where strict confidentiality rules are required for anyone dealing with medical records. Medical professionals are very careful when reviewing records because there are steep fines and penalties if medical information is given to anyone. This ensures that your medical information will not be made available without your consent. In fact it is often quite a task to have your information released to people with your consent due to HIPAA!
Onfile features an online access log that can be viewed by you at anytime to see who has viewed your records. Emergency personnel may view your records by using a card that you carry with a password and login name. The information on this card is different than the login information that you use to alter the information contained in your profile.
Taking control of your health information can make a big difference in the quality of your health care as well as the quality of life.
Find out more about Onfile online at www.onfile.com or contact Shawn Bailey with questions via e-mail at shawn.bailey@onfile.com. He can be reached by phone at 877-236-6345.
Until Next Time...
Shannon Wood
Editor
Senior Living Strategies
If you have any questions, concerns or comments regarding these topics, or you would like to suggest another topic of interest, please e-mail Shannon at shannonw@lawtonprinting.com.