Sharing health records really can save your life
The patient was being treated for chronic, recurring pneumonia. He was seeing specialist after specialist all over the state and each time he saw a new physician another scan was ordered. Finally, almost a year later, he was diagnosed with lung cancer and had major surgery to remove the tumor and, unfortunately, most of his lung.
He firmly believes that his cancer would have been discovered much earlier if each of his healthcare providers had access to his medical records and that he wouldn’t have had to have such extreme surgery. He could be right. Actually, he probably is.
You don’t want that to be you, do you? Or your child? Health conditions, medications, treatments, allergies, and previous tests can all be accessed throughout the state with Idaho Health Data Exchange now in effect throughout the state.
Don’t be confused by the word “exchange.” This has nothing to do with insurance or Obamacare or the government. This only has to do with medical practitioners being able to access information about your health history. The IDHE is most important during an emergency, when you might be compromised due to pain or unconsciousness or even sheer terror.
“If you have a car accident in Coeur d’Alene, the staff at the hospital there can access your data and not only save time at a critical moment, but save money,” said Bob Hess, director of information systems at Bonner General Hospital.
“Right now they would have to call us and the patient’s primary doctor, then we’d have to find the charts, copy the information, fax it back and hope it gets into the correct hands,” Hess said.
It’s a matter of safety for you and your children. With the IDHE all the information is up-to-date. By being able to access X-rays, transcripts, discharge summaries, etc. a picture is painted for the next physician or care giver.
This is all good, right? Yes. And, you don’t have to do anything to participate. You’re automatically a part of the program unless you have reason to choose not to participate. Accord-ing to BGH staff, some people are reluctant to share any of their personal information, including their social security numbers, so certainly there’s a form for opting out, despite the fact that there are safeguards in place that make sure only the medical people who need to know the data collected do so.
The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA) regulates the use and/or disclosure of your personal health information for purposes of treatment, payment and operations. The system’s security is carefully maintained, according to IHDE’s information sheet. And, all participating providers and health insurers must agree to follow the administration’s safeguards and written policies that require limited access to information.
When you’re admitted to the hospital you will be given an information sheet and form for opting out. Do not fill out this form unless you really, really don’t want to share your health information with health providers caring for you in the future. If you opt out and then change your mind there’s a form for that too, but the major downside is that none of your past information will be in the database.
“We respect our patients’ privacy,” Hess said. “IDHE is the hub for medical records, interfacing with offices and clinics’ throughout the state. Eventually it will expand throughout the country.”
Kathy Hubbard is a trustee on Bonner General Hospital’s Foundation Board. She can be reached at 264-4029 or kathyleehubbard@yahoo.com.