The voice of the average patient has been clear for a long time: they want
more access to their health records and to take a more proactive and personalized approach to their healthcare needs. A recent study by Accenture finds that a slight majority of patients are more concerned with having access to their medical records than they are with privacy breaches.
The Patient Engagement Survey by Accenture asked more than 2,000 patients about their preferences regarding security risks and electronic personal health records. While nobody wants their private data compromised, it appears that as it’s worth the risk as long as they can still get to their online medical records, especially with people who are more deeply afflicted with an illness. Around 65 percent of those with chronic illnesses said they are more concerned about access to electronic personal health records than security. Fifty-seven percent of people with cancer are more concerned with access compared to 48 percent of asthma and arthritis sufferers.
According to the survey, a startling number of people, even those with chronic illnesses, do not have access to their electronic personal health records online. Only 30 percent of the chronically ill said they have that access compared to 24 percent of healthy individuals. Most people simply don’t know they can gain access. Of those who did know, around 17 percent said they were not interested in online access.
The likelihood that patients will need access to their medical imaging is much higher today now that a majority of healthcare providers are accessing medical images through digital means. For instance, a patient seeing a doctor in one facility will take their medical images via compact disc to a specialist who will view the data. This is still a popular method among many healthcare providers, but there are methods that can achieve the sharing of medical images more safely and efficiently. Obviously, some patients are going to be worried about their data being compromised because we hear about it so often on the news, but the newest methods are proving very secure.
Security breaches are fairly common, but most of the time it’s regarding a laptop containing medical data on hundreds or thousands of patients that was stolen or lost. When patients are supplied with an encrypted URL that they can share with their doctor, there is very little chance of that information being accessed by others. Furthermore, it’s an advantage over carrying around a compact disc, which can be misplaced quite easily. For healthcare providers, stepping away from the CD burning method will be a welcomed change, especially considering the efficiencies of that method.
OffSite Image Management, Inc., has a solution for healthcare providers who are just as concerned with security as they are to giving their patients online access to information. With Virtual CD, clients can gain access to the information that is critical in their treatment without having to worry about security breaches. Contact us today and get ready to ditch your antiquated systems.