Setting the Medical Record Straight

Patients now have more access than ever before to their medical records. On this episode, we look at how this can help and hinder care.

Listen 50:27
Woman shopping at online Sainsbury's store using an iPad tablet computer

Woman shopping at online Sainsbury's store using an iPad tablet computer

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.

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