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Medical
Records
This article was
published in The West End
Times July 9, 2011.
Do ever wonder
what everyone in the health care facilities is writing about you?
Doctors,
nurses, physiotherapists, dieticians all have their stories to
tell….or YOUR
story to tell. Every time you go to a clinic, CLSC, doctor’s
office, another
story is told. How does the new story fit with the one in the hospital?
Does
anyone see the real you? The whole you? Or is your life story a pile of
papers,
scrap notes, X-Rays, blood results, blood pressure graphs? Have you
ever felt
as if you were doing something wrong when to try to sneak a peak at
your chart
when no one is looking?
Don’t worry, you
are not alone. The system is made to make you feel that the information
is not
your own. It belongs to everyone else…the doctor holds the
information and
tells you the results and the plan. The findings are paraphrased
because you
probably wouldn’t understand the medical language and on and on
and on.
The time has come to say no to
this paternalistic approach to health care. It is time to stand up and
say “It
is my life, my body, my story. I need all of the information to make
informed
decisions about my health”. It is your right to have all of the
information,
see the chart openly, and start your own complete coordinated record of
your
health. We all hear about the push for electronic health records
(EHR’s). All
provinces are in various phases of trying to implement this change.
Because
health care is a provincial jurisdiction, some provinces are doing
better than
others. Canada Health Infoway, supported by the Federal Government, are
participating in many projects with the goal of having EHR’s for
all
Canadians……a huge task. My concern is the ownership of
this record. I believe
that individuals should own a copy and add to it as issues arise and/or
improve. They should share this information with those who need it for
their
care. We can’t go the route that again, doctors and hospitals own
your
information and share only what they deem as necessary…the short
version.
Because
your medical history is spread out among your entire medical team, it's
a good
idea for you to keep your own complete, updated records so you can play
an
active, informed role in your care. Knowing your medical history allows
you to
share accurate information with a new doctor, a nutritionist, a
complementary
medicine practitioner, or a personal trainer. In this way, you ensure
that you
continue to receive the best care possible.
Thinking
about collecting all your medical information can seem overwhelming and
daunting. But don't feel like you have to get all this information
right away.
It's a big job that you can work on a little at a time. A good way to
start is
to ask for a copy of your most recent records each time you visit a
doctor or
medical facility.
After
you organize those, you can collect earlier records on a timetable
that's right
for you. Still, you'll have to be proactive and ask for your records to
collect
all the information you need. With technology now keeping our records
organized, it can be easier. Start one step at a time. When you have
lab work
done, ask for a copy to be sent to you. The results can be scanned into
your
records and organized by date for future comparisons. By
suggesting that we take charge and keep
our own records, I am assuming that we want to know about our health
and
participate in the planning for our care.
Recently
I submitted a proposal from Health Access and a technology company
“TeleMedic”
to Canada Health Infoway to develop a more complete picture of our
health
record by including the Home Care experience. Our records should
reflect what
happens after hospitalization and the diagnosis of a new disease such
as
Diabetes. It seems as if there is a growing interest in this type of
idea
because our proposal was chosen as one of the top five in Canada. Our
good fortune means that we can now offer several families the
opportunity to
begin the process of developing their own health records using the
technology
we have been testing. Who’s up for the challenge????
Anyone
interested in participating contact me at Health Access 514-695-3131.
We can accommodate the first five families.
Thoughts,
comments, suggestions are always
welcome.
Contact me at donna@ashcanada.com
Health Access, Home and Nursing care
514-695-3131
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