Personal Medical Records and Web-Based Portals - Term Paper Example

Personal Medical Records / Web Based Portals versus True Stand Alone Options The management of health records is slowly but surely taking a new shape as more and more people adopt the use of technology in almost all aspects of their lives. Personalized health records for patients can be divided into two categories. There are those that are regulated by hospitals, insurers or other medical facilities. Such records are commonly referred to as Electronic Health Records (EHRs) or Electronic Medical Records (EMRs) (Chase). The other category of personalized medical records is those that allow an individual patient to have total control over them. These are commonly referred to as Personal Health Records (PHRs) (Friedman and Lazer, 2). Personal Health records are normally web-based medical forms which individuals normally fill with their health information. There is a variety of software options for PHRs. For instance, Google has Google Health while Microsoft provides the Microsoft HealthVault (Tang, Ash and Bates, 62). Although both PHRs and EMRs are types of medical records which are more personalized than other types of medical records, they have some differences that make them unique from each other (Chase). Their different features also enable them to have unique benefits and some disadvantages as well. However they also have some similarities in their basic structures, which were born from the use of information technology in healthcare. Personal Medical Records or web Based Health Portals are taking center stage as a means of ensuring that the information pertaining to a certain patient is well managed (Tang et. al 77). They are as a result of advanced health Information technology, meant to manage every aspect of a patient’s medical and health history in an electronic or computerized format (79). According to the United States federal government, an EMR system should contain the following (Reti, Felman and Ross, 77): 1. Computerized prescription order 2. Computerized tests’ orders 3. Test result reports 4. Physician’s notes The government’s definition of EMR functions does not necessarily standardize their usage and implementation. It is the prerogative of a physician, medical facility or insurer to choose whichever information is going to be in the EMR. Personal Health Records normally contain information such as the patient’s name, date of birth, blood type, last physical checkup, tests and screenings, major illnesses and medical operations, allergies, chronic diseases, family health history and emergency contacts (Iyer, Levin and Shea, 134). To fully understand the difference between the two types of personalized records, it is important to go into details of their pros and cons and the impact they have on record keeping in general. Pros of Electronic Medical Records Instant information The use of EMRs has made it possible for attending physicians to have a person’s immediate medical information. This is made possible by the regional information-sharing networks that various medical facilities and insurance companies have set up. There are nationwide and regional databanks that physicians in different hospitals have access to when they need to treat a patient on an emergency basis (Chase). The creation of these databases comes handy not only during emergency situations, but also during long distance travels or when a person relocates (Reti et. al 43). For instance, if an individual moves from the south to the north of the country, the hospital where he goes to in case of an illness will be able to access his medical history from the nationwide databases . All that they will need to do at the hospital is to update the information and ensure that it is safely stored in the EMR. Reduced Costs The cost of operations is greatly reduced when EMRs are used in healthcare facilities and insurance companies. Entering an individual’s health and medical details does not require one to buy pens, papers and files like in the old record system. The system is also cost effective as it reduces the time taken to record a patient’s details (Reti et. al 61). The use of EMRs is also associated with increased efficiency. If the system does enhance efficiency, then it means that the cost is also low. Safety Gone are the days when doctors used to rely on a patient’s word regarding his medical history. Filling out lengthy medical forms was hectic for both the doctor and the patient. In any case, their safety was never guaranteed, which means that if they got lost, the patient’s recorded health history could not be retrieved (Chase). Relying on patients for their health histories was not very the most accurate means of collecting this crucial information for they could easily forget some of it, or even worse, lie about it (Liston). However, EMRs have come and changed all this. The use of Electronic Medical records has enabled hospitals, physicians and insurers to have all their patients’ health details in their systems. Since there is no need for excessive paper work, then there is no risk of the records getting lost or destroyed (Skolnik, 133). Having the records safely stored in a computer system eliminates the need for questioning the patient over and over again regarding his medical history. Minimal errors There are very errors reported when EMRs are used. This is contrast to the use of paper heath records, whereby errors are likely all the time. The errors may be as a result of poor legibility in the paper records. It can also be as a result of the reliance of outdated records which may not reflect the current medical situation of the patient (Iyer, Levin and Shea, 137). With the use of EMRs, these errors are kept at a minimal level, or even eliminated altogether. Using EMRs eliminates the risk of errors which are common in the traditional health record keeping. The legibility of the pre-printed EMR forms together with the standardization of medical abbreviations removes the risk of errors when making diagnosis. It is also easy to update EMRs (Friedman and Lazer, 4). This means that any new developments on an individual’ health can always be recorded electronically and kept safe for future reference. These kinds of updates also help to minimize the risk of making errors when diagnosing patient’s conditions. Efficiency The general benefit than comes with the use of Electronic Medical Records is obviously enhanced efficiency. With the amount of work that doctors have to do in their line of work, it can be frustrating if they do not have easy access to all the information that they need (Skolnik, 156). In the past, when healthcare givers used to rely on piles and piles of paperwork, efficiency was one of the things that were compromised. Lack of efficiency often led to low quality services and sometimes, fatal errors. The emergence of information technology that gave rise to the use of EMRs did a lot to improve the situation (Iyer et. al 144). When the physician can get his patient’s medical history and personal information instantly, then he will be able to provide all the necessary medical assistance without making any mistakes. This kind of efficiency is also necessary as it not only saves time, but it also saves healthcare costs. Cons Privacy Issues When it comes to the implementation of information technology in various areas, the issue of privacy is normally one of the biggest challenges. In the case of EMRs, patients normally have little or no control over how their medical history is used. This means that one does not have a say on who should or should not access the information. The Health Information Portability Accountability Act has provisions that may allow one to have some limited control over their EMR (Tang et. al 36). However, this also creates other problems, especially if no one else other than the patient in question is allowed access. Since there is no standardized way in which the electronic Medical records are stored, every hospital, physician or insurer uses different applications for storage. This makes it very easy for third parties to have direct access to all kinds of information in the EMRs (Reti, Felman and Ross, 39). What this means is that other people may use a patient’s health records without permission for their own personal use. Discrimination Although EMRs have considerably made it easier for physicians, insurers and medical facilities to access patient’s health records, it has also opened the door to massive discrimination. These records normally contain some important information, which might even include the patient’s level of income. If a patient has a high income, then he is likely to spend more on his healthcare than one on a lower income (Iyer, Levin and Shea, 139). The fact than one patient is worth much more than another may lead to discrimination. For instance, a rich patient may be accorded better treatment than a poorer one just because there is money involved. Discrimination can also come in the form of insurance denial. This is when an insurer refuses to insure a person who, according to health records, is a high risk individual. Pros of True Stand Alone Options (Personal Health Records) Individual Control Personal Health Records normally allow individuals to control the information in the records. Unlike in EMRs where it is the doctor or insurer who has the power to change information in the record, one can change anything he wants to change in the PHR, as long as it is correct information (Mitchell and Begoray, 55). Having the freedom to change one’s own health information enables people to update their records at will. Unlike the EMR, the PHR allows the user to control who has access to his records (Reti et. al 77). As long as one uses a secure website or electronic storage for his health history information, there is no need of worrying that other people who are not supposed to see the information will get their hands on it. Only the owner of that information has the authority to allow third party accessibility. Easy Accessibility PHRs enable individuals to have access to their medical and health history details if and when they need them. Since there are those PHRs that are web-based, the patient can access the information from anywhere (Friedman and Lazer, 7). This is very important especially in case of a change of location or when one changes his or her doctor. When this happens, there is no nee to worry about making new medical history records because there is one already made and can be accessed from anywhere, at any time. Cons Privacy Just like EMRs, PHRs also have challenges regarding their level of privacy. Most of the websites that provide options for PHRs are not overly concerned with privacy issues. Several websites normally rely on advertising for their revenue (Gellman, 14). This in itself opens the door for privacy rights infringement on an individual’s PHR. It is very hard to keep hackers out of pages which contain online adverts. This means that anyone can have access to PHR information that is meant to be private and confidential. Patients, and everyone else, need to be empowered about the safety of PHRs in certain websites. They need to know that not all websites which claim of offer 100% protection have the intention of offering it (Mitchell and Begoray, 55). It is always important to read through and understand all the terms of service provided in a website before uploading any kind of sensitive information. An informed user of PHRs knows when to use certain types of websites and when not to. Safety Safety is another concern associated with the use of PHRs (Liston). When one keeps his own medical history records in a computer system at home, there is no telling how safe it is, the computer can get destroyed or stolen. If there is no backup system, then all this information is likely to get lost. In this day and age when the patient is empowered to make important decisions regarding his health, it is important to put measures that will enable him to have access to personal health records (Mitchell and Begoray, 15). Although there are many people who have had or still have PHRs, there are many how have no idea about the benefits of having their medical records whenever they are. The most important reason for having PHRs is to ensure that the individual is able to access his or her medical or health history at own convenience. This makes it easy for the patient to get the medical and health assistance that he needs (Gellman 44) . The only thing that one should be careful about is security of the PHR. Although web-based health records can be accessed anywhere, one should ensure that they use a secure website for PHRs. This will minimize the danger of having other people view details in the PHR for whatever purposes, including malicious ones. Conclusion The use of personalized medical records has made it easier to manage patients’ records. Whether one is using the Electronic Medical Records or Personal Health Records, retrieving important information regarding an individual’s health is very easy and convenient. The use of the two types of personalized record keeping has not only lessened the work of record keeping, it has also made it much cheaper than it ever was. The benefits associated with the use of this kind of technology in health management have contributed to its widespread use in hospitals and in personal computers. The fact that technology has greatly improved the way health records are kept and accessed cannot be gainsaid. However, the same technology also comes at a price. When one uses personalized record keeping, he has to contend with the ever imminent danger of privacy infringement. Web based files are likely to be accessed by anyone who has the ability to hack into the system. This brings into question the level of security and safety for personalized record keeping. One can never be sure if his health and medical information is completely protected from prying eyes. Even worse is the lack of a standard way of using this technology that has left many people wary of using personalized medical records. However, all this negative aspects of technology in healthcare can be reversed if proper steps are taken to implement and use it in a secure way. Despite the few cons that come with the use of both the EMRs and PHRs, their benefits make them more valuable to all parties involved; that is patients, healthcare givers and insurers. This is an aspect of technology that should be embraced by individuals and healthcare facilities and institutions. If it is managed well such that it is secure, then it can greatly improve the efficiency in which services are delivered in healthcare facilities. Works Cited Chase, Phillip. Patient Access to Personal medical Records in the Digital Age, 2010. Web. Nov. 11, 2010. Friedman, Allan and David Lazer. Information Sharing and Privacy with Personal Medical Records: A Research Report. 2006. Boston: Harvard University Press Gellman, Robert. Personal Health Records: why Many PHRs Threaten Privacy. Washington, world Privacy Forum, 2008. Print Iyer, Patricia, Barbara Levin and Mary Ann Shea. Medical Legal Aspects of Medical Records. Tucson, AZ: Lawyers & Judges Publishing Company, 2006. Print. Liston, Barbara. Google Unveils Personal Medical Record Service, Reuters. 2008. Web. Nov. 11, 2010. Mitchell, B and Deborah Begoray. Electronic Personal Health Records that promote Self-management in Chronic Illness. Issues in Nursing, 2010. Vol. 15, No. 3 Reti, Shane, Henry Felman, Stephen Ross and Charles Safran. Improving Personal Health Records for Patient-Centered Care. Journal of the American Medical Informatics Association, Vol 17, No. 2, 2009 Skolnik, Neil. Electronic Medical Records: a Practical Guide for Primary Care. New York: Springer. Print Tang, P., Ash J., Bates, D., Overhage, J and Sands, D. Personal Health records: Definitions, Benefits and Strategies for Overcoming Barriers to Adoption. Palo Alto, CA: Palo Alto Medical Foundation, 2005. Read More