Google and the Cleveland Clinic agreed to partner on a program to store patient health records online. The patients, who volunteered for the electronic transfer of their records, will be able to access their own records. Though all health profiles will be password-protected, critics have accused the program of raising more problems than it solves.
On one level, this program is definitely a step forward. Most children and adults in the US move several times in their lives. Medical records get transferred from doctor to doctor - or not. The transition sometimes leaves potentially dangerous gaps in the record. Every time a doctor sees a new patient, the patient must fill out a form that usually runs to about four pages, covering the medical history of that patient and his or her immediate family (parents and siblings). Less-than-perfect memories could put patients at risk - and even if one's memory is perfect, filling out that form every time gets to be a real hassle.
Now imagine how an online health profile could help simplify this process. It would contain all of a patient's information in one place: prescriptions, allergies, operations, illnesses, relevant family data (such as a father's heart condition or a mother's breast cancer), and so forth. With modern technology, an online health record could even store X-ray and MRI images. Mammograms could be compared over time. And best of all, the record would be uninterrupted. Are you moving or otherwise transferring to a different doctor? No problem; all you have to do is give the new doctor's office access to your online health profile.
Having one central point for a patient's health records could also reduce costs and save time. In covering this story, the Wall Street Journal reported the experience of Larry Stofko, the chief information officer for St. Joseph Health System in California. "His wife has seen a dozen different doctors at several hospitals. He's been with her when doctors at one hospital wanted to run tests that doctors at another hospital have already performed - tests that wouldn't be necessary if they had easy access to her medical records," Journal reporter Ben Worthen noted.
Patients with access to their own health records might even get inspired to become more proactive about their own health. Granted, certain test results present difficulties when laymen try to read them. But practically everyone knows what normal blood pressure is supposed to be; seeing an upward trend can be a little sobering. Speaking of upward trends, living with an expanding waistline is a little different from seeing the rise in black and white pixels. "I've gained that much weight since college?!"
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