Keeping Doctors Informed

Apparently the medical field is moving a little too slowly for some people. iHealthRecord is fixing this shortcoming, though, by allowing us, the patients, to create secure online health records. While not every physician will opt to use these records, it's worth a little time to get a copy of your records (your healthcare provider can supply you with a copy) and enter the information. Between regular visits and emergency care, there's a lot to be said for having critical information at the fingertips of the people whose job it is to keep us alive.

I have a lot of work to do to get my records fully entered, though most won't need to spend as much time as I will (I've had tuberculosis, pneumonia, and a few other things, in addition to my ongoing treatment for epilepsy). When I am done, however, I can point my doctor to the site (having allowed her access) for any information she might need. Had a physician with the infamous unreadable scrawl so often associated with the profession? No problem. Once it's been deciphered and put online, anyone with permission to read it can know what the proper course of treatment is to minimize risk and maximize efficacy.

Yes, anyone can claim data security, but we've seen how that can get blown in a heartbeat. I know that using a system such as this comes with risks, but what are the possible benefits? We can say that this is a can of worms we'd rather not open, but the simple truth is that most of us will see our data placed into this kind of system before we die. I like that I will get a good look at my information on the way in, though.