Records Have Been the Norm

¶ … records have been the norm for maintaining medical information since it started. However the adoption of electronically managed forms of these kinds of confidential documentation is on the rise in recent years. They carry the requisite means of noting down the medical progress, remedial prescriptions, recommended tests and procedures along with available and expected results. Microsoft Health Vault and Google health are some of the main web services offering solutions in this regard. While most of these are free, customers requesting some extra services can avail them by paying a fee. They guarantee their current and potential users of complete confidentiality. Users have sufficient control over their information and are allowed to delete their records at will.

The physicians nowadays are more tech-savvy than in the past and are steadily getting accustomed to how electronic medical records work. There are several pros and cons which determine the effectiveness of health care data store online. Theoretically speaking, the analysis of a patient's health data online, can allow for an easier way to interact with the doctor. It can enhance the quality of health care, eliminating any obvious errors without a significant increase in costs. One example can be a patient suffering from a chronic ailment, who experiences unexpected changes in symptoms. An online system can keep the doctor updated of the proceedings.1

It can bring forth several options of saving health care expenses. Patients using Google or Microsoft-based services are exempted from paying money to store their records. The hospitals get their funds from patient registrations who are interested in such forms of online records, while the online storage companies use targeted advertising campaigns for their share of the profits. The companies providing insurance, profit by lowering claims, by helping the patients get associated with online programs to manage their ailments. Employees benefit from a lower cost of their own health care options as they gain awareness of their availability. This tends to augment their productivity in general. 1

Electronically controlled health data has its share of problems as well. They might not be comprehensive enough to allow the physician to take necessary steps. They end up becoming liable for anything prescribed based on incomplete information on an online portal. It is hard for them to verify all the details mentioned, without having their patient to examine. This kind of doubt can result in an unexpected delay of delivering a remedy. Patients in crucial stages of a disease can suffer from this. Electronic medical data which do not exist within the domain of the health care system offered at a hospital is usually free from the Federal Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA). According to this, every individual is legally allowed to examine and get a copy of his confidential health data, in the format they ask for. This act safeguards confidential healthcare data by setting its standards with regards to security and privacy. It maintains these features for health information under the authority of "covered" units such as health care centre, plan or provider. Online storages such as Google Health and Microsoft Health Vault do not lie within the bounds of such kinds of units. This implies that their data is not as safe as they expect or assume them to be. The best approach to stay safe is to manage the electronic medical records in an online patient portal which works within the confines of the health care provider's information system. The private data which exists there will be covered by the terms of HIPAA. The level of access can be moderated to comply with the laws of the state. An instance of such a portal is the "PatientSite" created at the Beth Israel Deacon Medical Center, Boston. This kind of forum provides services such as secure messaging, registering appointments and updating prescriptions. Patients, external pharmacies or portals are usually not allowed to input any data3.

One of the most obvious issues with electronic medical records is the fact that they are accessed in a medium which can be reached from any part of the world, the internet. While all forms of transactions are usually processed after the authorized users log in using a password, the history of internet fraud still make them think twice before using such an online service. Regardless of the various levels of encryption being used these days, several instances of hacking and identity theft have presented themselves. Blue Cross, an American company using electronic records of medical data came under attack on September 30, 2008 where around 1700 users had their personal data such as phone and social security numbers stolen. A Canadian agency encountered a hacker attack on November 26, 2007 where confidential information about Aids and Hepatitis patients was stolen2.