Close call highlights need for overhaul of record-keeping
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A PROVOCATIVE article on the anticipated dumping of the medical records of hundreds of local patients highlights the critical lack for many patients of secure storage and access to their medical records ("Patients' files poised at trash bin," Metro, April 2). What happened in the case of an Acton family doctor could happen anywhere in the United States. Thanks to the community-service orientation of the CEO of Emerson Hospital in Concord, the medical records of patients of unlicensed and evicted physician Dr. Ronald T. Moody are being salvaged (Metro, April 3).
This frightening incident underscores the current need for patients to have electronic personal health records that they can easily access, understand, and share. Access should also include wireless versions. President Obama's plan to overhaul the current $2.3 trillion healthcare system should consider this need in the allocation for electronic medical records.
Health insurers need to be encouraged to work with software contractors to improve their ability to provide patients with this access. They should also be encouraged to provide discounts to patients who request and use personal health records.
With the appointment of Dr. David Blumenthal as health information technology officer, there is some hope that wishful thinking might become a reality.
Thelma Leaffer
Cambridge
