Digital Medical Records: Stimulating Or Suffocating

Posted Thursday 5th March 2009 by Tobias in SEM News.

There is a furious debate raging across the Atlantic focussed on whether medical records should be digitised and centralised. Since the initial concerns about the launch of Google Health in spring last year, most recently typified by unconfirmed consumer groups claims Google had been lobbying to allow the sale of medical data, the concept of electronic medical records has divided opinions.

Yesterday Google Health introduced a new feature that allows third party access to medical records. The ‘Share This Profile’ feature enables another person to access a profile by sending email notification with a link. In response to concerns regarding medical data security, Google Health have reassured that the third party cannot alter any data and access is only valid for 30 days.

This comes in the middle of a healthcare hurricane surrounding part of Obama’s stimulus package with USD 18 billion earmarked for digitising medical records. The cash has been set aside for incentives to coax MDs into digitising; creating jobs at various levels.

The two major areas that would benefit are the Healthcare systems providers and the data entry level prospective employees, however the New York Times famously stated, “So far, the only jobs created have been for a small army of lobbyists…”

The integration of a centralised electronic database of medical records would allegedly improve efficiency in the triangular relationship between medical professionals, insurance companies and the patient. However some political figures are contesting the concept of efficiency and claiming that security would be sacrificed.

One of the concerns is that criminals will be able to hack medical records, change information then fraudulently bill insurance companies creating potentially hazardous medical mix ups. Another concern appearing on blog responses is that the current processes followed by insurance companies to access medical records would be compromised.

Where Google Health and Microsoft’s answer Health Vault have pre-established security guarantees which some political commentators claim are better than anything the proposed scheme could deliver. There are also accusations that heavy Medicare penalties will be levied on those MDs who are not opting in for some sort of electronic system.

Current systems in place have had controversy surrounding them, such as the practice of send transcribing contracts abroad for cost efficiency purposes, which have experienced breaches of confidentiality. The question is, can the federal government design and implement a system which maintains efficiency and security considering the US’s history of high level hacks?

With the federal government controlling medical records this would seem like a potentially socialist move, however with senators joining lobbyists in trying to pass amendments which would allow the sale of certain medical information, it seems that the almighty buck is still the focus in the politics of the United States.

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