Where Does Your Information Go?
Anything medical in nature requires a lot of paperwork. Patients fill out forms at every doctor's visit, dentist visit, every hospital stay, and every time emergency care is necessary. There are questions regarding family history, personal information, medications taken, conditions you may have, past surgeries, current symptoms, insurance information, and the list goes on and on. You have to arrive at a scheduled appointment 15 minutes early just to fill out the paperwork. Some offices put the forms on their websites so you can fill them out at home and bring them in with you. What happens to all that information you keep giving out? What is it used for? Why do you have to keep answering the same questions all the time? Who sees your information?
All very good questions and valid ones, considering your right to privacy. Medical professionals use that information to keep track of your health, to compile statistics, and to reference data. Researchers use it to determine trends in health care, track certain symptoms, reduce costs of service delivery, and improve overall health care for the masses. You fill out those forms every time to verify data and update information.
The information used to go into your paper file and was seen by your primary doctor. Technology has improved the process and made your information available to professionals who need to see it to treat you. It is electronically stored and handled by health data management systems. If you notice, now when you go into an appointment, sometimes you are simply asked if any information has changed. That is because the receptionist can view your information and you don't have to fill out as much paperwork.
Today, clinical data warehousing makes it possible for providers to share your information for the purpose of treating you in any setting. If you are on vacation, for example, and need treatment for an accident injury, the provider can access your information. The provider will know conditions, medication history, allergies, and past surgeries, with your permission, of course. This allows that person to treat you more effectively. The information can also be de-identified and used for research or reports.
