Tan Kin Lian's Blog: Survey: Central database of medical records

Saturday, February 14, 2009

Survey: Central database of medical records

Should we have a central database of medical records? Will it lead to more efficient treatment and low medical cost? Give your views in this survey.

Here are the survey results.

4 comments:

Parka said...: I think I've read something similar that's being tested in US. It's a central databased uploaded onto a central server online. Different hospitals (and insurance companies when permitted) can then access information.

The problem is kick starting the project. There's no motivation for hospitals, specifically the people working in the hospitals, to go ahead with this. (Tell me how they are paid and I will tell you how they will behave.) The initiative will have to be from the government.; January 14, 2009 6:50 PM
Anonymous said...: Three things:

1. Everyone should realize that medical information belongs to the individual. It does not get any more personal. It certainly does NOT belong to the hospital or any agency. Hence, instead of centralizing medical information, we should do the opposite to secure (e.g. using a smart card) such information individually but make the information accessible with hospital/clinic systems provided the individual gives consent.

2. A centralized database poses the real danger of a bulk compromise. This applies to medical records, financial, credit card records, etc. It has happened before and it will happen again.

3. The real question is NOT whether the data should be centralized. The systems are just NOT inter-operable, as a result there can be no meaningful exchange of data regardless of where it is stored. This should be fixed first.; January 15, 2009 5:24 PM
Stephen Folan said...: I worked for a company that supplied IT to GPs and collected anonymised information at the end of the month. This data was used to produce health studies that were paid for by drug companies and local health authorities.

Public authorities are not food at IT projects and private companies cannot be trusted with sensitive data. So we need to find a way to standardise the systems used by health professionals and allow the information to be made available.; January 16, 2009 7:13 PM
Anonymous said...: Sorry for chiming in late here. But am I reading this right: "Singapore does NOT have a centralized medical records system"?

Perhaps my understanding of all this is too simplistic, but:

1. Doesn't Singapore have a medical system where Dr. A (from medical center X) and Dr. B (from medical center Y) are able to access (with some ease, or otherwise) to view medical history or past diagnosis of Joe-Patient?

2. Isn't there any way the insurance company are able to check if Joe-Patient had ever been treated for any condition in the past which he may have inadvertently forgotten to mention to the insurance company?

I am wondering how we safe guard the data and also manage the problems with abuse to the medical system.

-John; January 28, 2009 9:41 PM