Rep. Joe Barton (R-Ennis), chair of the Energy and Commerce Committee is working to create a new national health records database.
The system would allow medical records to be stored electronically and transferred from doctor to doctor or hospital to hospital for efficiency and cost reductions.
But Dr. Deborah C. Peel with Patient Privacy Rights is concerned that too many people will have access to a patient's records without their knowledge or consent.
I think both are very important. I want the doctors who need access, to have every bit of information they need, but if I had a medical condition that did not concern them, I'd prefer to keep those issues private as well.
I wonder what the future of medicine will look like.
Should a psychologist be able to see that I have an STD or an addiction? Should my dentist be able to see that I visit a shrink?
Of course security around the system is important as well. You don't want some teenage boy to be able to hack into the system through Google.
Firewalls and encryption must be a top priority as well.
But where do you draw the lines and how do you allow limited access?
Hopefully Congress will find the answers before the bill passes.
Tag: Rep. Joe Barton (R-Ennis) | Patient Privacy Rights
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