Patient's access to personal online health records a first!

Published

http://www.healthzone.ca/health/newsfeatures/article/926713--medical-records-at-the-click-of-a-mouse

Hmmm this is interesting...I can see the benefits and cons to this already! I can defintely see where non medical trained patients will get confused/overwhelmed with ultrasounds, ct scans results, etc. I guess nurses can expect to be giving lots more information on medical information now

Just as they go online to pay bills, renew library books and buy movie tickets, patients at Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre can now log on the Internet to manage their health.

MyChart, Sunnybrook's innovative electronic health access service, lets patients check laboratory results, review their prescriptions, see ultrasound images and connect with their physicians.

It is the first hospital in Canada to offer patients unprecedented access to their health information. A computer, an Internet connection and the click of a mouse is all it takes to retrieve health records. No longer will patients have to track down physicians, sign forms or pay hundreds of dollars for their records....

See rest of article in link above...

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Specializes in SRNA.

This is one of the features that hospitals that use the EPIC charting system can offer its patients. I think it's a good thing. However, the hospital system should also offer some type of service in which a patient can ask questions about their medical record in case there is confusion, etc.

Not everyone reading their own chart will be pleased to see that they were in the hospital due to being SOB, for example.

:D

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Already been up and running for a few years in my area with EPIC-based hosptital systems. I don't think there is much of a problem as a patient you can always request lab results. If you tend to be one who calls your MD office all the time trying to self-dx as a lay person, you'd be doing it anyway. It really has not been much of a "splash" so to speak, kind of underwhelming actually.

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Specializes in ER.

Sounds great to me.

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Specializes in Newborns, Adolescents, and Burns.

My own PCP's health center uses this system, something I really appreciate after once struggling mightily to get back time-sensitive test results from a different health center.

The MyChart info is much more limited than what you would find in the actual EPIC chart, and at least in my PCP's case, it features lots of bells and whistles to allow you to talk with clinic staff and/or your PCP about what you see. It's pretty cool, but not overwhelming, even for my completely non-medical husband. If anything, MyChart may well placate those who insist on getting their whole chart to take home and surf the web with.

I often think that patients who want it should have easy access to their real chart (most EMRs automatically convert things like "SOB" to their full phrasing. Though I wonder what typing "LOL" will get you!). So many lay people think that something is being hidden from them by healthcare professionals, why not give them full transparency? It might also help those who need it to appreciate that a fuller education than 5 minutes on "Dr. Google" is necessary to make sense of all that data. ;)

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Specializes in Burn, CCU, CTICU, Trauma, SICU, MICU.

Access to labs, etc... could be a good thing. However, I'd be hesitant to give patients free-run of our progress notes. The last thing we need is Sally Jones calling up irate because she read about how she is "non-compliant", or reads our CYA charting sometimes...

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I wish they had it here!! Im assuming that's down east...

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Specializes in Vents, Telemetry, Home Care, Home infusion.

my homecare agency emr went live sept 2002. been using allscripts navinet discharge planning emr past 3-4 yrs to obtain homecare referrals and discharge information from penn health system, main line health system and nation wide hospitals using this system.

expanding access to patients was next step in emr implimentation. patients have view access to certain sections emr. safeguards need to be in place that info entered can not be deleted but amended by patient. this is the era of ushering in patient self managment.

university of pennsylvania health system "

mypennmedicine " is patient portal includes

patient self-management, which includes patient education via online resources incorporated into the ambulatory emr patient portal; community programs that are identified, which include support groups via a patient portal; and a patient action plan and report cards that are accessible via the patient portal.

my health insurance company ibc has a patient portal with the idea that information will help you take control of your health decisions, provide tools to get healthier and quality health information

http://www.ibx.com/members/features_ibxpress/index.html

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Not everyone reading their own chart will be pleased to see that they were in the hospital due to being SOB, for example. :D

Almost fell out of my chair after reading this! Thanks for the laugh :yeah:

Lynn

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Access to labs, etc... could be a good thing. However, I'd be hesitant to give patients free-run of our progress notes. The last thing we need is Sally Jones calling up irate because she read about how she is "non-compliant", or reads our CYA charting sometimes...

Just learning proper charting at the moment so please correct me if Im wrong!!

From my understanding we wouldn't use "non-compliant" in describing a clients behaviour would we?

Wouldnt we as nurses use something more along the lines of "Client stated "I want to be left alone" when writer went to help with ADL" so that when Sally Jones reads her charts, or if Sally's charts are ever used in Court, then there is nothing insulting to her character?

Again please please correct me if I am wrong...just a student sooo :)

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Specializes in MSP, Informatics.

It is part of the Meaningful use in healthcare. A patient will be given an electronic record if they ask. It is a little vague on what has to be in the electronic record. I would hope that the patient would only get those things that have already been seen by their own doctor or the ordering doctor... so the MD has a chance to contact the patient first about results. And as far as CT or US reports.... even a normal exam can be confusing if you read everything above the interpretation.

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Specializes in ER, ICU.

I've been doing this myself (I'm a Kaiser patient) for years. It is awesome. I can view my whole med record on line.

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