I’ve always been a fan of the concept of electronic patient records. All the data available in one place to me and to any of my healthcare team. We can all work from the same info, it doesn’t get lost in the post and there isn’t a massive upheaval if you happen to move house.
At times I feel like this is the minority view. I spend a lot of time listening to propaganda in the media and from many clinicians about how insecure it is to have my medical records online, how anyone could hack into the system and read about my in growing toenail. Now, I accept there are limitations with any method of storing data, but the backlash against electronic patient records assumes that the current system is secure.
A recent incident got me thinking. I don’t believe my paper health records are particularly secure. I’ve got three examples where I know they weren’t:
• Whenever I went to clinic as a child my dad’s cousin who worked at the hospital in;
I agree Alison, I really don’t care if Joe Bloggs can read my health records! As far as I can see, the only people with any pecuniary interest in accessing them would be an insurance company; bearing in mind that if they find out you’ve lied on the application they won’t pay out anyway, does that really matter?