[LINK] Hospital use of SMS for Appointment Reminders

[Karl Auer]

On Fri, 2010-08-20 at 11:27 +1000, Birch, Jim wrote:
> > If the patient is considered to own their medical records, then you 
> would only need their permission to release the information.
> 
> Yes, but the system would need to remember the provider number they
> released it to, any constraints like how long the release is valid, etc,
> plus audit information.  This isn't a big problem where information is
> transcribed from source systems into an eHealth repository (or source
> data has it's access managed by the repository) because this would be
> designed in.  OTOH where connection is direct to an existing source
> system in a hospital there is unlikely to be access control down to the
> individual patient level.

Let's not forget too that a sick person, someone in pain, or just
someone in a hurry is very likely to just sign anything, to effectively
say "take it all". Unless the system imposes inconvenient (and people
will say "productivity-killing") constraints on how and to whom someone
can release their information, the privacy of such records will last as
long a snowflake in hell.

Also (and this is perhaps the single most important bit) there must be
real and painful consequences for a person or organisation that misuses
records. Otherwise no amount of technology will be the slightest bit
useful in protecting people's medical privacy.

Regards, K.

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Karl Auer (kauer at biplane.com.au)                   +61-2-64957160 (h)
http://www.biplane.com.au/kauer/                   +61-428-957160 (mob)

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