Imagine an E-Health system where any GP, specialist or pharmacist could view the complete medical history of a patient. A system where they could find anything and everything from a patient’s history including current medications, medical conditions, immunisation records, allergies, past test results and doctors referrals. A system where a medical practitioner can get a comprehensive view of someone’s health and therefore provide them with the best possible health care. Unfortunately, Australia’s E-Health system will not appear quite like this. Instead, patients will be able to pick and choose what appears on their Personally Controlled Electronic Health Record (PCEHR), that is, if they even decide to have one all.
I understand that healthcare can be a very personal topic for many people. And I get that people do have conditions that they wouldn’t necessarily want to share. But how can a treating medical practitioner get the full picture of somebody’s health when things can so easily be omitted? What may be considered insignificant or embarrassing to a patient may just be the piece of the puzzle a doctor needs to get answers.
The worrying thing to me is that if people are able to select which things they wish to exclude, treating doctors could easily miss vital clues for diagnosis, or worse still prescribe medications that interfere seriously with previously diagnosed conditions. Pharmacists could unwittingly dispense medications that patients are allergic to or have had reactions to in the past. If all the information is present, things are much clearer and it is easier for medical professionals to provide better and safer treatment.
True, there probably are certain things could be excluded without implications on future healthcare, but where do we draw the line on what is needed and what is not? It’s not as if the health records are there for anyone and everyone to read, they are for treating healthcare professionals.
What is your view on Australia’s take on E-Health? Do you agree that patients should have full control of their E-Health record?
Let me know what you think!
E-Health Blog 2013 