Google Medical Records

There was an article in the Boston Globe on April 13th that discussed the problems experienced by some people who sent their medical record files from a hospital system into Google. Turns out that the provider had an arrangement set up with Google, so if the patient wanted the records sent, they had the interface in place.

When the patient reviewed the record he was shocked at the innacuracies. According to the article:

“Some of the information in his Google Health record was drawn from billing records, which sometimes reflect imprecise information plugged into codes required by insurers. Google Health and others in the fast-growing personal health record business say they are offering a revolutionary tool to help patients navigate a fragmented healthcare system, but some doctors fear that inaccurate information from billing data could lead to improper treatment.”

And the article went on from there to recommend that the patient should review and correct the record with their physician.

“Patients who discover mistakes in their health records can delete information, add notes, or ask providers to correct problems. Dr. Todd Taylor, a former emergency room doctor who now works for Microsoft Health Solutions group, which makes the personal health record Microsoft HealthVault, said patients “need to take an active role in managing their health data,” preferably by reviewing them with a medical professional.”

So how will doctors schedule those appointments in with their busy days and who would be responsible for reimbursing it?

The long and short of it is that the best indexed data was from the accounting system and the inclusion of certain codes could be interpreted as relatively benine or catastrophic, no context or time frame seemed to be provided. The hospital announced this weeked that it was suspending its agreement with Google.

Information sharing is here or at least seen on the close horizon.

What are people doing now if a patient want’s their record?

Posted on April 29th, 2009 in Company | Permalink | Comments »
Tags: electronic medical records, google health, personal health records

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