Electronic Medical Records Coming Soon

Microsoft Corp., Google Inc., and dozens of organizations promoting consumer adoption of electronic personal health records agreed for the first time on a comprehensive set of privacy protections. An 18-month effort by health insurers, Web portals, doctors, hospitals and nonprofit groups produced a framework that will spur growth in the use of personal health records, improving the U.S. health system, they said today in a statement. The framework ends a “privacy logjam,” that has inhibited use of electronic records, thought to be able to cut duplication, costs and errors, the groups said. The push for consumer- controlled data parallels U.S. government efforts to promote adoption of electronic medical records by health care providers, an initiative yet to win over most doctors because of costs.

The policies will enable the market for information to grow while giving consumers control of personal information and protecting their privacy. It gives new entrants to the market practices to follow without having to figure it out for themselves.
Access to a patient’s personal health record can help doctors and pharmacists know what drugs have been prescribed by other physicians, for example, helping avoid new prescriptions that could cause dangerous interactions. A new doctor could know what tests have already been given.

The framework includes audit trails so consumers can see who is looking at their records and prevents insurers, employers and others from demanding to see the information. The policies are distinct from federal privacy requirements that already cover the exchange of that data among medical providers and insurers.

The framework would be enforced by existing federal and state consumer protection laws based on regular oversight by private, independent groups, the foundation said.

The plan was endorsed by health insurers, organizations representing physicians and consumers, electronic prescription benefit managers, government agencies, Google, Microsoft, Cisco Systems Inc., and WebMD health Corp.