I am grateful for those working so patients can control their own health data. At Mid-Columbia Medical Center we have lived by the Planetree Philosophy of care, which includes an open chart policy. This policy encourages patients to read their medical records and write in the Patient’s Progress Notes. Access to understandable health information that can empower patients to participate in their health is one of the core values we live by. Patient's must control their own health data.
From HealthDataRights.org, the
Declaration of Health Data Rights:
In an era when technology is allowing personal health information to be more easily stored, updated, accessed and exchanged, the following rights should be self-evident and inalienable. We the people:
• Have the right to their own health data
• Have the right to know the source of each health data element
• Have the right to take possession of a complete copy of our individual health data, without delay, at minimal or no cost; If data exist in computable form, they must be made available in that form
• Have the right to share our health data with others as we see fit
Their should be NO LOSS OF RIGHTS with the transition from paper to electronic records. This may seem like common sense, but there are some that are trying to take control of our own health data, particularly with the advent of electronic health records. You can endorse the Declaration of Health Data Rights either by submitting your endorsement via this website or by entering the hash code #myhealthdata on Twitter. Please take a few moments to endorse this important declaration and let's make our voices heard loud and clear.
