The view is that the patient is more important than the practitioner in the whole equation.
David de Bhál www.v-practice.com -----Original Message----- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Greg Twyford Sent: Wednesday, April 26, 2006 3:15 PM To: General Practice Computing Group Talk Subject: Re: [GPCG_TALK] Clinical software recommendations Mario Ruiz wrote: > Peter, > We do not have a clinical stream to our pms but have been looking a > little bit into these and other related issues. > > Our view is that actually the patient owns the ehr content and > portability choices, therefore a practitioner that wants to restrict > access to the patient's ehr would be clearly overstepping their > authority as the patient chooses where to go and who to see. In our > opinion, is up to the patient and not to the practitioner to restrict > access. Are we over-simplifying privacy and ownership issues? Mario, A medical practitioner must continue to have control over his/her records. In a highly litigious environment this is a given. If a patient decides to commence an action against a medical practitioner, and the practitioner doesn't 'own' the record, they are in great trouble. It's standard practice that practitioners must report loss of records, or unauthorised access to their professional indemnity insurer. The record is their only defence in asserting what they claim occurred, as opposed to a different version that a litigious patient may claim. The current emphasis on upgrading practice information security relates to this, and the reality that losing patient information, or letting it escape into the wild, may harm the patient as well. The admittedly very weak privacy principles, in effect, let patients access their record, but if they own it or can alter or block access to sections of it, how do practitioners protect themselves? If practitioners incur costs in providing copies to patients, or allowing more open access, how are they to be compensated, as they compile and store the record? If they don't, a third party with some i dependence surely must? Greg -- Greg Twyford Information Management & Technology Program Officer Canterbury Division of General Practice E-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Ph.: 02 9787 9033 Fax: 02 9787 9200 PRIVATE & CONFIDENTIAL *********************************************************************** The information contained in this e-mail and their attached files, including replies and forwarded copies, are confidential and intended solely for the addressee(s) and may be legally privileged or prohibited from disclosure and unauthorised use. If you are not the intended recipient, any form of reproduction, dissemination, copying, disclosure, modification, distribution and/or publication or any action taken or omitted to be taken in reliance upon this message or its attachments is prohibited. All liability for viruses is excluded to the fullest extent permitted by law. *********************************************************************** _______________________________________________ Gpcg_talk mailing list [email protected] http://ozdocit.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/gpcg_talk -- No virus found in this incoming message. Checked by AVG Free Edition. Version: 7.1.385 / Virus Database: 268.4.6/324 - Release Date: 4/25/2006 -- No virus found in this outgoing message. Checked by AVG Free Edition. Version: 7.1.385 / Virus Database: 268.4.6/324 - Release Date: 4/25/2006 _______________________________________________ Gpcg_talk mailing list [email protected] http://ozdocit.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/gpcg_talk
