Take Charge of Your Medical Records
"It's your health. So it's time you took control of all the information about it." That is the opening sentence in an excellent recent article in The Wall Street Journal, titled "How To Take Charge of Your Medical Records." It goes on to say, "Studies show that 400,000 Americans die every year because of medical errors, including 80,000 because doctors don’t have in hand the information they need."
The article is an excellent guide to obtaining, managing, correcting and protecting your medical records. It lists five important steps: (1) demand your data, (2) organize it, (3) share it, (4) generate it yourself (measuring your own blood pressure, exercise data, etc.), and (5) protect it. It contains detailed advice on managing records, including computer and smart phone programs and applications, as well as discussing the privacy risks of using those.
In almost every facet of life, knowledge is power, and it is no different in healthcare, except that some of the healthcare knowledge a person acquires might save his or her life.
The article is an excellent guide to obtaining, managing, correcting and protecting your medical records. It lists five important steps: (1) demand your data, (2) organize it, (3) share it, (4) generate it yourself (measuring your own blood pressure, exercise data, etc.), and (5) protect it. It contains detailed advice on managing records, including computer and smart phone programs and applications, as well as discussing the privacy risks of using those.
In almost every facet of life, knowledge is power, and it is no different in healthcare, except that some of the healthcare knowledge a person acquires might save his or her life.
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