What will it mean when all our health records are computerized?
February 17, 2009 - 10:27am
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I know that part of the new administration's stimulus bill is money to be spent on computerizing all medical records. What will that mean to an ordinary person? And we've all seen people at our doctor's offices on computers for years -- what is the difference between what they've been doing and the stimulus plan? And might this give the insurance industry more access to our health records?
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Yes,many doctors have already been doing this, probably started off to create more space in the office.
Well,the good thing is your health records are more readily accessible which may make life easier for you when switching doctors.
The bad news is your health records are more READILY ACCESSIBLE to insurance companies which can affect your coverage.You may be required by that new job you're applying for to sign a paper releasing your health records to employee health.
Sounds like one of those Damned if you do, Damn if you don't situations
Not all doctor's offices are computerized! There are still many, many offices with racks of the "old" medical files. I worked in a medical facility that was undergoing a conversion from paper files to electronic files, and it includes the coordination of different doctors, labs, specialists, etc. Many labs and pharmacies still fax orders and results, which then require personnel to scan these documents into the patient's electronic medical file.
I think this is wonderful, and will help with the continuity of care among health care providers, pharmacists, specialists...and will help individuals when moving to keep their medical charts accessible. And, with every new technology comes a way to abuse it; there are very strict HIPPA regulations regarding giving permission for others to read your medical chart---whether it is electronic or paper.