Access to Your Medical Records

Dr. Stephanie Taylor, gynecologist in Carmel, CA gives a testimonial on Google Health. She speaks about how her patients use Google Health to view their lab results online and organize all their medical records in one central and secure place.

Category:

Science & Technology

Tags:

• medical records
• PHR
• personal health record
• user testimonial

[utubersquestions]

i think the lady has no clue whats all possible with a computer

[Moeh14]

She probably has no clue what a computer is lol.

[VundaF]

I want this feature all the time.

[bravado214]

@bittertea Right. I'm just saying that similar technology could be used to allow medical researchers access to data that would otherwise take them a ton of time to collect. Question is: Would you allow Google to share your data anonymously to researchers if it meant that researchers could potentially find valuable info that could lead to curing some diseases?

[bittertea]

@bravado214 Google isn't allowed to use your health information without your permission. Sure they can behind your back but if they do it's against the LAW at the moment.

The law it called HIPAA.

The goal isn't medical research. The goal is to get information from your doctor/laboratory/pharmacy hands to your hands as seamless as possible.

[bittertea]

@peppeddu @bravado214 So there is going to be a cute medical theme wallpaper website with a spyware that a secretary is going to click on or secretaries manage google databases?

BTW the person who drop the records I thought was probably a doctor 'cause go back and forth from their clinic to the hospital a lot if they are close by and have privileges at the hospital. Secretaries fax. So do you trust a doctor with your medical information? :P I think you should despite human error.

[bravado214]

@bittertea This is why we need a standardized, electronic way of dealing with medical records. Think about it. In the digital world, we have all kinds of standards: PDF, HTML, email, etc. Why isn't there a standardized way of dealing with medical records? If it existed then all that time spend sending records all over God's creation would practically not exist. It's a waste of time and money. Build the infrastructure to allow more standardized ways of doing things and you'll see costs go down.

[bravado214]

@bittertea Indeed. But, again, ask yourself what the profit motive is from having your medical information. If anything, any access, anonymous or not, can be beneficial. For instance, a medical research company could use the information to see patterns with certain illnesses and whether certain treatments are more effective. That's one of the main benefits in systems like Google Health. That's the goal. Again, privacy is an illusion. It doesn't exist unless you're 100% off the grid.

[peppeddu]

@bittertea They sure can if they want to. Paper is not a 100% secure way to store information.

But my point is another.

All it takes is one click in the wrong place and all the data stored in a computer will be transferred to a server overseas.

The computer is managed by companies that have no responsibility for data theft and operated by security-clueless people (mostly secretaries)

Would you trust your medical data into this mess?

[bittertea]

@79898325 To open? Instead of going to the lab>lab database>fax machine/mail/lab computer own by the lab company>doctor>nurse>who ever is around listening>secretary>file cabinet>you. It goes from your lab database>google>you and lab database>google>doctor. Just don't give your password. Companies aren't allow to give out health information to other entities except for health reasons or billing reasons. <.<; They need an authorization from the patient. It's HIPPA law, is it not?

[bittertea]

@peppeddu I was driving by a hospital and I saw 2 files of medical records in the middle of the street while I was turning left and right before the freeway. Good old paper. :D Who is to say the cleaning crew and janitor doesn't have a key to the office and can't check out all your SS# if they wanted too. :O

[bittertea]

@bravado214 Hospitals aren't companies? Kaiser is not a company? Doctor clinic is not a business? Not to mention all the other Hospitals/Clinic/Out-Patient facilities who rely on outside tech/data companies to make their lives easier with technology/databases and crap. Your insurance can request for your records and so can billing. Other doctors can. Transportation (if you use ambulatory care). The paramedics get your health info.

The information goes through more hands than you think already.