Push To Allow NHS Patients To See Medical Records Online

From TechWeek Europe:

NHS patients should be able to see their medical records online by 2015, under a proposal from the NHS Future Forum, a group of leading doctors advising the Government over its health reforms.

According to its proposals, the Forum’s idea is that people essentially “own” their medical personal health records, and should be able to see their medical history, download their case notes, and even see the comments made by GPs and medical staff (providing they can read the writing) about their particular case or ailment. Patients will also be able to order their repeat prescriptions and make appointments online, free-of-charge.

ONLINE PROPOSALS

“We fully support NHS patients having online access to their personal GP records,” Lord Howe, a health minister, was quoted as saying by the Daily Telegraph. “Our vision for a modern NHS is to give patients more information and control over their health.”

“That’s why the independent NHS Future Forum has continued to listen specifically on this issue and how we make it a reality for patients,” he said.

But the plans are likely to face opposition from some elements of the medical profession concerned over patient confidentially.

They could oppose the proposal because of fears that family or friends could gain access to sensitivehealth information about some patients. They may also have concerns that their confidential medical notes, giving frank, personal appraisals of the patients, will be viewed by the patient and could damage relationships.

Another worry is whether GP practices will actually be able to physically cope with digitising all their patients medical history records, and whether the NHS can actually deliver a workable system for these proposals.

POOR TRACK RECORD

Of course, the government will be acutely aware of previous-botched NHS computer projects in this regard, most notably the notorious NHS National Programme for IT (NPfIT) scheme.

The NPfIT system was proposed in 2002 by the then Labour government to provide better communications across the NHS infrastructure, based around a central database for patients’ medical records, scans and X-rays.

The project came under continuous criticism for rising costs and dubious management. The flawed plan was then inherited by the current Coalition government which in September, 2010, pledged to pull the plug on it.

A year later, the government finally confirmed it was writing off the costs and axing the project.

PHR: Gingrich ‘Loophole’ Offers Lobbyist Access for Consultant Cash

From Bloomberg Business Week:

Testifying before Senate committees in 2003 and 2006, Newt Gingrich commanded attention as a former House speaker. He used the opportunities to share his vision of the future of health care -- and to mention a few clients.

Both times he singled out HealthTrio LLC, an electronic health-care personal health record (PHR)  company and an early member of Gingrich’s Center for Health Transformation. As a member, the Denver-based company would have paid as much as $200,000 a year to the for- profit center.

HealthTrio was one of dozens of companies that benefited from its relationship with Gingrich, who had access to lawmakers and opportunities to advance their interests that go well beyond those of a standard Washington lobbyist. Gingrich insists he never lobbied, and he never registered as a lobbyist.

“I call it the Gingrich loophole,” said Howard Marlowe, president of the American League of Lobbyists in Alexandria, Virginia. “It’s not lobbying under the law, he’s right about that. It is lobbying in reality.”

Lobbyists must register their work with Congress if they have a paying client, make at least two contacts on behalf of the client and spend at least 20 percent of their time working for that client during a three-month period. Gingrich’s work often dovetailed with the work lobbyists do, even though he probably didn’t hit the 20 percent threshold, Marlowe said.

Providing Information

While lobbyists sometimes work behind closed doors to make deals and help draft legislation, much of their time is spent simply providing information to lawmakers and clients or trying to raise a client’s profile before agencies and congressional offices that can affect their interests. Often that means getting a meeting with a legislative director or chief of staff for a senator or representative.

PHR: iTriage to Integrate Microsoft HealthVault Data with Its Mobile Apps

Healthcare software maker iTriage has announced that it plans to integrate Microsoft's HealthVault personal healthcare record (PHR) with its iPhone and Android apps next year enabling users to access their personal health records stored on Microsoft's service straight from their mobile devices.

"PHRs offer consumers a great way to monitor their health. Our iTriage vision includes being the mobile aggregator for multiple PHRs in the future," said Peter Hudson, MD and co-founder of iTriage.

"We believe today's HealthVault PHR integration into iTriage will give consumers a convenient and easy way to access their health information anywhere, anytime." he added.

The iTriage app allows users to access information on symptoms, medical conditions, medication and procedures straight from their mobile phones and even gives them suggestions regarding where they can get their medical condition treated.

The app has been used by more than 3 million people and is available from the iTunes App Store and Android Market as a free download.

iTriage, through the press release, indirectly asked Google Health users to migrate to Microsoft HealthVault.

Read more: http://www.itproportal.com/2011/12/27/itriage-integrate-microsoft-healthvault-data-its-mobile-apps/#ixzz1hlOXebdX

PHRs:Patients Want To Read Doctors' Notes, But Many Doctors Balk

From NPR News:

Doctors write about their patients all the time, in notes detailing office visits and treatments. But for patients, those notes are a closed book.

Maybe the doctor has scribbled that the patient was "difficult," as Elaine discovered when she peeked at her chart in a memorable Seinfeld episode. When her dermatologist saw her snooping, he grabbed the chart out of her hands.

Well, patients seem ready to take that risk. When asked if they'd like to see their doctors' notes, patients in two new studies overwhelmingly say yes. But doctors aren't nearly as enthusiastic.

 

The idea of opening up doctor's notes has been around for decades. Advocates figure that patient oversight will reduce medical errors and help patients be more engaged. Patients have a legal right to see their records. But actually getting those notes can be expensive and slow.

Doctors and hospitals can charge whatever they want for photocopying, and can take up to two months to deliver. (Patient advocate Regina Holliday was charged 73 cents a page when she asked for copies of her husband's chart when he was dying of cancer.)

Now that doctors and hospitals are using electronic medical personal health records (PHRs), however, the process of sharing should be relatively cheap and convenient. These two surveys asked doctors and patients if they are ready to make that leap.

The first survey asked 18,741 patients of the Department of Veterans Affairs health system if they'd like to share their online personal health record with family members or other doctors. Seventy-nine percent said they would. The patients were almost all men over age 50. Many were in poor health. (Some personal health records include doctor's notes; many do not.)

But it's the second survey that really gets at the conflict over control of the medical record. It's a poll taken at the very start of OpenNotes, a yearlong experiment that aimed to measure benefits and problems when doctors let patients read their notes. (OpenNotes is funded by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, which also is an underwriter of NPR.) Both studies were published in the Annals of Internal Medicine.

PHR: LifeNexus Names New Chairman and Appoints Board Member

From Market Watch:

LifeNexus, the developer of the iChip and Personal Health Card(R), today announced that William Jacobs has been named Chairman of the Board and that Robert Titsch has been elected to the Board of Directors.

William "Bill" Jacobs has been a Director of LifeNexus since March 2011. Prior to joining the LifeNexus Board, Mr. Jacobs was the Senior Executive Vice President for MasterCard International MA -2.26% and the CFO of the New Power Company. At the New Power Company, Mr. Jacobs was responsible for finance, corporate development, strategic planning, and investor relations, including raising over $500 million in an IPO.

LifeNexus introduces a new era in portable health records with the Personal Health Card(R). This technology was designed specifically for maintaining an individual's Personal Health Record (PHR) on a card in their wallet. The patented iChip(TM), "Individually Controlled Health Information Platform(TM)," utilizes mobile server technology to securely store critical information including prescriptions, medical history, allergies, insurance data, emergency contacts, physician notes, as well as other key information. Individuals authorize access to critical information at the time and point of need. With sensitive information securely encrypted, password protected and "Off-the-Web" the consumer is in absolute control with the iChip. Now individuals can manage their personal health information and at their choice, the iChip can be applied to payment cards, conveniently making general day-to-day purchases on the same card.

PHRs: MMRGlobal receives $30-mln proposal to license patents

From ProactiveInvestors.com:

MMRGlobal (OTC:MMRF) said Wednesday it received a proposal by business management services company Surgery Center Management to license the company’s health information technology patents for $30 million, plus royalties.

The California-based company gained 1.6 cents, or 41.03 percent, to reach 5.5 cents today on the OTC. 

Under the terms of the proposed agreement, MMR would issue a limited non-exclusive sub-licensable license for the company’s portfolio of health information technology patents. 

Among the patents included are the company’s personal health record product line, and its electronic document management and imaging systems.

Surgery Center Management, which is privately-owned, provides general management, legal services, human resource development and medical billing and collection services. 

The offer, which excludes the company’s biotech assets and intellectual property that it has spent over $100 million in development, is subject to the signing of a definitive licensing agreement. 

MMR acquired these biotech assets through a reverse takeover of Favrille in 2009. The company said it is working to license these patents to universities and to biotech companies, among others. 

MMRGlobal is a provider of secure and easy-to-use online personal health records (PHRs) and electronic safe deposit box storage solutions. It serves consumers, healthcare professionals, insurance companies and financial institutions.