The In Focus Martin Sheen TV show continues to explore how technology is making our world a more efficient place. One area where technology has made great advances is in the field of medicine.
New treatments and cures to diseases are being introduced all the time, and medical records are becoming more accessible.
Electronic medical records or EMR is giving doctors more access to information they need to make informed decisions about a patient’s care. Even if the patient is far from their usual doctor, there is no longer a need to have access to a paper file to understand a patient’s medical history.
The internet has allowed people greater access to records. Not only is the web filled with all sorts of information like the TV program website at www.infocusptv.com, people can also access their most important personal files online.
Services have cropped up around the internet that allow people to maintain and transmit their medical records at a moment’s notice. Many of the sites charge a small fee for people to have access to an updatable file. Through the provisions of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability act of 1996 (HIPAA) people can have access to their own files to store on the internet.
By storing the files online at a secure site as opposed to storing them on a document on a home computer, the records can remain safe even if a computer fails. It also allows a physician easy access in case of an emergency.
By 2015, the Federal Government hopes to have all medical records online. In Focus PBS found it gives patients a level of convenience if they move or their doctor leaves practice, but it also gives medical providers the life-saving information they need in an emergency.
In Focus with Martin Sheen at 561-907-9280 will continue to investigate how innovation is changing the way we do business and impacting doctors’ ability to save lives.