How Did Our Medical Notes Become So Useless?

Post by assblaster » Sat, Jan 05, 2019, 4:47 AM UTC

tdeck wrote: post #156

Here's a fun thing about our system in the US. If you're taken to the emergency room, they'll ask your medical history. And not just once - they'll ask it in the ambulance, radio it ahead to the hospital, then make you wait while they ask you the same questions again and enter them into their system at the hospitsl. Then the next 3 doctors or nurses who come into your room do the same thing, asking you questions you'…

Post by Spooky23 » Sat, Jan 05, 2019, 4:51 AM UTC

rhcom2 wrote: post #10

arielweisberg wrote: post #3

Medical notes are largely fiction IME. You should request all your medical records from any doctor you have seen and start demanding they correct them. You will be shocked at the lies they tell about you. You will be even more shocked down the road when you find out how these lies can hurt you.

In the US you're legally entitled to your medical records too but every time I've done it the response is always defensive, ie "why do you need them", "send me the doctors information and I'll fax it to them myself".

Post by rlucas » Sat, Jan 05, 2019, 4:57 AM UTC

thomasfedb wrote: post #133

mrestko wrote: post #107

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This goes back to the central thesis of the article: that interference from non-physicians (i.e. insurers, billers) are destroying the usefulness of notes. Physicians are bound by both a professional duty and oath as well as legal liability to keep your medical information in the strictest of confidence. But it is nearly impossible to know in advance when a particular piece of medical information will become importan…

I think this comment really hits it on the head. Your medical record is meant to be a confidential record read only by those who are sworn to care for and protect you, and by nobody else for no other purpose. As a student doctor it's alarming to think that people do not feel they can trust their doctor with their medical history. I wonder if this is particularly a problem with the US healthcare system.

Post by ddingus » Sat, Jan 05, 2019, 5:42 AM UTC

giobox wrote: post #136

goldcd wrote: post #5

In (the UK at least) your medical notes follow you as you sign on with a new GP (General Practitioner - first point of medical contact for anything non-urgent). Now knew this theoretically happened, but was quite bemused to see it happen in practice. I rescued a rat from the silken-jaws of my pseudo-homicidal cat, and the ungrateful rodent bit through half of my finger - I thought it would be sensible to have a check…

I'm not entirely convinced the UK/NHS should ever be used as a good example for handling medical notes, at least by today's standards. As a Brit who left the UK a while ago, I recently had cause to request my "medical records" from my former GP. Of course such data can presumably be requested via the UK's Data Protection Act, but the lack of any kind of standard process or checks really shocked me, given the care the…

Post by dublin » Sat, Jan 05, 2019, 6:11 AM UTC

thomasfedb wrote: post #133

mrestko wrote: post #107

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This goes back to the central thesis of the article: that interference from non-physicians (i.e. insurers, billers) are destroying the usefulness of notes. Physicians are bound by both a professional duty and oath as well as legal liability to keep your medical information in the strictest of confidence. But it is nearly impossible to know in advance when a particular piece of medical information will become importan…

I think this comment really hits it on the head. Your medical record is meant to be a confidential record read only by those who are sworn to care for and protect you, and by nobody else for no other purpose. As a student doctor it's alarming to think that people do not feel they can trust their doctor with their medical history. I wonder if this is particularly a problem with the US healthcare system.