While we live in a time where we are concerned that social media are collecting all our personal information, here’s a question that you may not have thought about (but maybe should): Who should I trust with my electronic medical records?
In a series of polls I conducted on various LinkedIn and Reddit groups, I asked the question:
As electronic medical records gather huge amounts of data on patients throughout our healthcare system, the question arises on who to trust with these data. Of the following, who would you most trust with oversight of accumulated medical information?
· The Federal government (Department of Health and Human Services)
· Commercial (private) insurance companies
· An independent healthcare board run by physicians
Currently none of these groups have full oversight of these data (and “an independent board run by physicians” does currently exist), but it is important to consider this hypothetical as medical data accumulate with relatively little oversight.
Here are some of the results:
By far, the most interested group were the LinkedIn members of HIMSS (Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society). According to their website (https://www.himss.org/who-we-are), HIMSS is a global advisor, thought leader and member-based society committed to reforming the global health ecosystem through the power of information and technology. Of the 443 LinkedIn HIMSS group members who voted, 5% voted for Commercial Insurance Companies, 31% for the Federal government, and the majority, 61%, opted for an independent healthcare board run by physicians. There were many thoughtful comments, a few saying that they would not trust any of these entities, but others who suggested some combination of these entities.
Of the 57 LinkedIn group of members of the American College of Physician (ACP) who voted, 2% voted for Commercial Insurance Companies, 16% for the Federal government and 82%, opted for an independent healthcare board run by physicians. The ACP is a national organization of internists, who specialize in the diagnosis, treatment, and care of adults. With 161,000 members, ACP is the largest medical-specialty organization and second-largest physician group in the United States, after the American Medical Association.
Only 5 members of the National Association for Healthcare Quality (NAHQ) group voted in this poll but all of them (100%) voted for “An independent healthcare board run by physicians.” The NAHQ is the only organization dedicated to healthcare quality professionals, defining the standard of excellence for the profession, and equipping professionals and organizations across the continuum of healthcare to meet these standards.
There were 46 votes on a similar Reddit poll in a group for those who are interested in healthcare issues. In this poll, 6% voted for Commercial Insurance Companies, 37% for the Federal government and 57%, opted for an independent healthcare board run by physicians.
Although these are clearly not the most reliable polls, there appears to be a general consensus that the Federal government can be trusted with our data only a little more than commercial insurance companies. This distrust of the federal government and commercial insurance applies to those in medical informatics, primary care physicians, healthcare quality professionals and members of the general public (at least those who are interested in healthcare).
It appears that the most popular choice in all the groups is an independent board composed of physicians- an entity that does not currently exist.
So, shouldn’t we consider creating such a body? Maybe a body like the Federal Reserve Board of Governors or NASA’s governing board, which are non-governmental agencies relatively insulated from political and financial pressures?
What do you think?
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