Earlier quoted context omitted.
Tangentially, I recently moved to Canada and was surprised by the lack of quality healthcare.. Literally could not believe some walk ins have paper files and use fax, plus finding a GP apparently is a months long quest. Visiting a specialist took ages, and I wouldn’t say it was the best / most modern infrastructure there either. (And I went in downtown Toronto, must be so much worse for more remote places I guess). I…
American doctors all use fax machines and “heavy paper files” to transmit referrals. Who cares? An enormous amount of working Americans have no healthcare at all. Would you prefer that?
In my home country, _most_ of the files are electronic (EMRAM stage 6 for the main hospital network, covering most of the country https://www.himss.org/what-we-do-solutions/digital-health-tr...).
I can see any specialist (almost any GP) and they'll get limited time access to my entire patient history. I don't have to worry of getting a second opinion from someone who "doesn't have my history".
Plus, I get insight into this data myself through an app (or web platform), where I can view the scans and take them to someone outside of the network if I want to.
Pharmacies will also start sharing data, so a GP can enter the data in a system which any Pharmacy can then enter (with your electronic ID), so no need for paper subscriptions either.
It just gives me peace of mind. :-)