Setting the Medical Record Straight

Medical records are an important part of health care. They create a history of past issues, test results, and medications. They paint a picture of somebody’s general health. Patients now have more access than ever before to their records, and these changes have come with some growing pains — like receiving test results straight from the lab, before their doctor can review them, or discovering mistakes.

On this episode, we crack open those medical records to get a better sense of how they can help and hinder care. We’ll hear about how physicians struggle to access different parts of the record to create a cohesive picture of a patient’s health. We dig into issues around law enforcement accessing these records, and why they’re so valuable to hackers.

ALSO HEARD:

• Primary Care Physician Neda Frayha describes how she uses medical records in her daily practice, and why they can be maddening at times.
• Grant Hill reports on one woman’s struggles to set her own medical records straight after discovering numerous mistakes.
• WPLN reporter Catherine Sweeney digs into issues around law enforcement agencies’ access to medical records, and why that has become a hot button issue around abortion.