Medical records available across a network...what's your opinion?
By spalladino
@spalladino (17891)
United States
April 13, 2010 11:58pm CST
If, following healthcare reform, patient's medical records were available to all medical practitioners via a centralized network, do you believe that would be beneficial?
In considering that question I would like to share my day today with you.
My husband is having surgery in a few weeks. As some of you already know he is a Vietnam vet who has PTSD, has had triple bypass surgery, has degenerative rheumatoid arthritis in his spine, high blood pressure, and several other medical conditions. He's on a variety of medications to treat a variety of medical conditions.
Today we went to the V.A. Medical Center in West Palm Beach for his Pre Op appointments. He also had an appointment with Pain Management, who we saw first. The change in his pain medication was added to his medical records during that visit. Our next appointment was for a chest x-ray...standard procedure. The technician noticed the marker in his chest from his triple bypass but knew what it was because it was in the medical records she also had access to. We saw the surgeon next who was able to also access his medical records. Indicated in those records was a notation from another specialist who treats him regarding the medication he has my husband on. Just prior to surgery he has to receive a very high dose of that medication and be stepped back down over a period of 2 days or he will have a serious complication. Although we mentioned this to the surgeon, he was already looking at the notation so he would have been aware of this special situation had we forgotten to mention it. He was also able to see what my husband is already taking for pain which will help him to manage the additional pain he will be in following surgery. When we met with the anesthesiologist following that appointment he noted that my husband had had a slight reaction to one general anesthetic in the past so he informed us that he would be using something else. My husband also received an EKG today, with the results added to his medical records. The anesthesiologist needed to know when he had last had a cardiac stress test and the information was right there in front of him. Because every medication my husband takes is listed in his medical records we didn't have to bring that information with us and there will be no confusion or missed medication while he's hospitalized following his surgery. All of this was not only convenient for everyone involved in my husband's care, it serves to protect him from medical errors and to help ensure that he receives the best possible care. That is the goal of the V.A. Medical Centers and I believe this system works very well.
8 people like this
11 responses
@hofferp (4734)
• United States
14 Apr 10
Most of my records are automated and there are huge advantages to doing so. I'm less concerned about privacy than others, since my "history" is pretty well known to the Government, since I worked for the Army as a civilian for over 30 years. And what the Army (now the Office of Personnel Management, since I'm retired) doesn't know, the IRS does...same Government. I'd like to see the system automated (and I trust the internet/automated security, more so than the USPS and my unguarded mailbox). I just want it to happen without Government being in the middle of it. I'd like it to be a private venture without government subsidy/contract. Spalladino, I wish your husband the best in his upcoming surgery...
@spalladino (17891)
• United States
14 Apr 10
Thank you for your good wishes, hofferp. Since you trust the government to handle your retirement benefits is there a specific reason why you wouldn't trust the government to handle...and safeguard...your medical records and would instead place your trust in a private entity?
@spalladino (17891)
• United States
14 Apr 10
Social Security benefits are not mentioned in the Constitution, neither are veterans' benefits. Do you also have an objection to those?
@hofferp (4734)
• United States
14 Apr 10
In my case, the Government was my employer. So my employer is handling my retirement benefits. I don't want the Federal Government handling my medical records because I don't want a bigger federal government. I'd like the Federal Government to perform the functions set out in the Constitution, not much more.
@lilwonders456 (8214)
• United States
14 Apr 10
I agree that it sounds like it will help a lot....but I do have privacy concerns. As long as they can make sure your medical information is kept private...then I don't have issues with it.
But considering how things get hacked into...and information stolen...well..I do think there is going to be issues with peoples information getting out there.
@lilwonders456 (8214)
• United States
14 Apr 10
ya and my dad and husband have both gotten letters from the government letting them know that their information has been compromised. The VA lost a few laptops with their SS numbers and other information on it...information that could be use for someone to steal their idenity and ruin their credit. SS has had the same problem. Idenity thefts are getting more tech savy...as we put more and more personal stuff on computers and databases...they find more ways to steal it. Every had your idenity stolen? It is very expensive and takes years to get fixed. Until you get it fixed your life can be ruined. It can effect your ability to get a job, get a loan, buy a house, car, all kinds of stuff.
I am just saying there are risks and those risks are big. Especially to those that have their information compromised.
Also I want to know who exactly would have access to the information legally. Just your doctors? Or can the government see it too?
@EvrWonder (3571)
• Canada
20 Apr 10
I can see the convenience is medical records being shared across a network.
IT seems to make life easier for the doctors and patient alike.
Although I reside in Canada and do not think that we have this in place up here, I found this discussion very informative.
I just hope that your husband is feeling much better soon.
It sounds like he is being well taken care of anyway.
Bless you and yours! Thanks for the post.
@laglen (19759)
• United States
14 Apr 10
I understand the convenience of this. What if somebody hacked in and took out the med info. It would take them even longer because they will count on that info. What if, in twenty years, he applies for a job (purely hypothetical) and that employer can look at that record and say no because of your medical history.
I think its great that it worked so well for your husband. I hope everything works out well for him... and you. I just foresee alot of problems with this later. Right now, it is working how it is supposed to. I worry about what could come from it.
@laglen (19759)
• United States
14 Apr 10
Spall, you are right and I agree. My concern is for the future. Do you realize that there is lobbying for opening medical record for jobs and credit right now?
Do you know that they can look at you credit report for a job now? I understand the need for electronic records at this time. My issue, I DO NOT TRUST THAT IT WILL STAY PRIVATE.
@spalladino (17891)
• United States
14 Apr 10
laglen, if you were retired and applied for a job, can the employer access your social security benefit information to see how much you're getting every month? If you're collecting unemployment benefits can he access them? Only authorized users can access any network so the fear that any Tom, D1ck or Harry employer would have access to a medical network is unreasonable and also a violation of HIPAA. Another thing you have to remember about networks is that they have back up protocols. At the college I worked for we had the primary network and the satellite locations had secondary networks which were also part of the primary one. All of them ran backups overnight, every night, so if there was any kind of cyber attack, we could revert to the most recent back up to recover lost information if that became necessary.
1 person likes this
@spalladino (17891)
• United States
14 Apr 10
Yes, laglen, employers have been doing credit checks for a while now and I am strongly opposed to that...especially now when so many people have taken hits to their credit rating due to the poor economy. People lobby for all kinds of stupid things. There's no way HIPAA's patient privacy legislation is going to be overturned in this way...not now or in the future.
1 person likes this
@spalladino (17891)
• United States
17 Apr 10
He's doing fine right now, AmbiePan, thanks for asking. 
@spalladino (17891)
• United States
17 Apr 10
Definitely you have to be your own advocate.
1 person likes this
@Taskr36 (13963)
• United States
17 Apr 10
I think it could open up a whole world of abuse and end the privacy of medical records for high profile people. All it takes is one jerk to publish someone's personal information. Just look at what Helen Jones-Kelley did to Joe the Plumber by illegally accessing his records for her own political agenda. Look at the jerks who were accessing McCain's and Obama's passport records or that pud who hacked Sarah Palin's email.
I know there are significant benefits to this, but I am VERY uncomfortable with what people could do with such easy access to private medical records. This last election really showed how far people will go when they are obsessed with politicians and that's not even getting into what would happen to celebrities and it is not limited to any class of people so don't think for a second that doctors, nurses, or dentists are above this.
@Taskr36 (13963)
• United States
17 Apr 10
Yes Spall, those manilla folders are MUCH more secure than a secured network. For one thing, you have to physically be there to access those. That alone is a level of security. This network could literally be accessed from anywhere in the country. The number of people with access to that folder is limited to the number of people in the building with that folder. That's a much smaller number that how many could access the network you're talking about.
Joe the Plumber's PRIVATE records were accessed by Helen Jones-Kelley, and for purely political motives as she didn't like the question he asked Obama. There was nothing public about her illegal use of power. I'm not saying it can be hacked as easily as Sarah Palin's email, I was really just using that as an example of how people with political motives are more than willing to illegally access private information
@spalladino (17891)
• United States
17 Apr 10
Are medical records safer in those manila folders they're currently kept in? Someone famous went to the hospital...was it Brittney Spears?...I don't recall, but whoever it was, someone at the hospital was able to take a peek at her medical records and leak information to the media. Public records are one thing...internet email is simplistic, which is what Palin was using. A secured network is an entirely different animal.
@gabs8513 (48686)
• United Kingdom
15 Apr 10
I think this is great
I wish they would do that here to because the amount of times I have to mention that I am allergic to Paracetamol, what Medication I am on and all that is unbelievable
I actually carry a note in my Handbag which says who I am what my Illnesses are, what Medications I am on also my Allergy to Paracetamol and who to contact
The System that you had there was certainly great
@spalladino (17891)
• United States
16 Apr 10
We run into a similar problem whenever my husband has had to be treated at a facility outside of the V.A., which also happened to be emergencies as well. He takes approximately 14 different medications and I carry a card with the specifics with me at all times. Since the V.A. uses some generic medications there have been times when I've had to explain to the hospital staff what a particular medication is and what he takes it for.
@dragon54u (31633)
• United States
14 Apr 10
I think it's a great system that can be life-saving as long as the government doesn't get its grubby hands on it. Privacy concerns me with this system. Right now the benefits outweigh the disadvantages as long as they can keep those records secure from prying eyes.
@spalladino (17891)
• United States
14 Apr 10
Dragon, the Veteran's Administration's medical centers are government run so the government does have it's grubby hands in it. It's headed by the U.S. Secretary of Veterans' Affairs, which I believe is a Cabinet position appointed by the president.
As with any networked system, everyone who accesses patient records at the V.A. has to have the ability to log into the system but their access across the network is limited by protocol based on their job. As a former network administrator I can tell you that most networks are tiered in some way, limiting user access to some groups and giving full access to others. The in house pharmacy, for instance, can see the patient's medication information only and the staff who schedule appointments can only see that area of the patient's file...which comes in very handy for us since it takes over an hour to drive there so being able to schedule multiple appointments for the same day is helpful to us. Physicians, of course, have full access all patient files while the people who work in the Canteen have no access to patient files.
@Hatley (163772)
• Garden Grove, California
14 Apr 10
hi I do think thats great as all the various doctors and other medical
personnel who have anything to do with your husband have all his records
right in front of them and can thus make sure no errors are made.I have
had nothing but praise for the Va hospitals I have been around and I wish
they would augment this in all private hospitals. the one I go to is really p;retty good, they have all my info on the computer so i do not have to tell them a long drawn out story the few times Ihave gone there.
Also when I went to the er this time they got my high blood pressure down really fast so I did not have a stroke,then worked to get my blood sugar down to normal too, only when I was okay again and had no more headache did they send me home. the nurses were two really wonderful male nurses who were very efficient and knew just what they were doing too. I still thank God I did not have a stroke and owe that to God and the two nurses also.
@spalladino (17891)
• United States
14 Apr 10
I'm glad you didn't have a stroke, too, and it does sound like you have an excellent hospital to go to. Because my husband has so many different medical issues it does make me more comfortable that anyone who treats him has all of his information available. We did go outside of the V.A. once, for surgery on his right carotid artery (mainly because we chose not to wait which, as it turned out, would have been safe to do) but adding those records to his V.A. files was a simple matter of filling out a form which they sent to the surgeon. Now they have those, too.
@spalladino (17891)
• United States
16 Apr 10
This is true, it is a confidential private record and I agree that it should not be available to anyone outside of those giving you medical care.
@k15682 (300)
• United States
14 Apr 10
My husband also uses the VA medical system for his numerous medical problems. It is very convenient that all his doctors has access to his medical records. His cardiologist knows what his diabetes doctor, podiatrist and primary care docs are all doing and vice versa, EXCELLENT AND EFFICIENT. The only problem I have had is one day he went in for a PC visit and the computers were down, all patients sat in the waiting room for over 2 hours just waiting for the computers to come back up. As for the privacy issue, doesn't bother me at all. I have confidence that the canteen worker does not and will not know what ailments my husband has.
@spalladino (17891)
• United States
14 Apr 10
I've never experienced a computer crash while at the V.A. but I'm sure that was frustrating! What always impresses me whenever we're there is how short the wait time is and how none of my husband's doctors or any staff member ever makes him feel like he is being rushed. Since he has anxiety, making him feel rushed is very stressful for him and brings out a fairly quick irritable response.
