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I tend to watch the Super Bowl for the ads, so it's no surprise that while tuning in to the 2010 Olympics this weekend, a clever commercial caught my eye. GE Healthcare ran this ad about electronic health records (EHRs), showing how the technology connects physicians and improves coordination of care. The commercial starts in what appears to be an exam room, with a doctor consulting a patient. The doctor wonders whether the patient has been tested for a certain condition, and then the lights come up, revealing an auditorium full of doctors--all presumably part of the patient's medical history and all willing to share their knowledge and test results.
Today's technology makes it easy to point and click your way to any health info you need. But is what you find online reliable? Here's how you can find the right doctor and manage your healthcare online.
All over the country, forward-thinking athletic trainers at the high school and collegiate levels are finding new ways to do their jobs better — using advances in healthcare and communications technology to redefine their roles while eschewing such longtime athletic training standbys as whirlpools and spine boards. "The job has gone from using a cotton-tip applicator to carrying a BlackBerry®," says National Athletic Trainers Association president Chuck Kimmel, former head certified athletic trainer at Austin Peay University and now an instructor and clinician at Appalachian State University. "It has become much more scientific and technical."
Maintaining a personal health record (PHR) is the key to my existence today. My PHR experience started in the early 1970’s. My parents were diligent about keeping comprehensive and up-to-date files and medical records for me, due to a near medical error as a child. I was almost given the wrong medication by the physician in an emergency situation.
A friend reviewed my medical history with me, including all of my illnesses and health issues. She asked me to start at the top of my head and to go all the way to my toes, and to list anything that was wrong including explanations for any scars.
I take approximately 15 different medications. My PHR helped my surgeon's office with the medical information they needed to access for inclusion in their records. When I was admitted to the hospital for the surgery they already had all of the information copied from my PHR for the doctor.
- Should my PHR include emergency contact information?
- Can my parents view my PHR?
- Where do I go if I can't find the information I need on your Web site?
- What is the training for people involved in managing my health records?
- Does AHIMA store copies of my health record?
- What do I do if I believe my health information privacy rights have been violated?
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