On January 9, NPR reported the uses of Electronic Health Records (EHRs) are moving beyond coordinating patient care and becoming an important resource for medical studies and using facts that help individualize care.
Dr. Tracy Lieu, head of Kaiser’s research division in Oakland, California, said the extensive use of EHRs was expected from their onset in the 1970s, but the proactive use by patients was the element that the medical field did not expect. Patients want to access the knowledge database to help shape their individual treatment.
“Patients are always saying, don’t just give me the averages, tell me what happened to others who look like me and made the same treatment decisions I did,” Lieu said. “And tell me not only did they live or die, but tell me what their quality of life was about.”
Being able to provide high-level information, which is invaluable to those seeking treatment, can be a challenge because the process also requires patients to share their experiences, which are added to the database. Relaying to individuals the information they are offering, via feedback, is incredibly useful to other patients contemplating treatment decisions. Medical records don’t simply store facts about an individual’s health. There’s a big potential for a database of medical records to be mined to help shape an individual’s treatment.
The Electronic Health Record may offer guidance on the best treatment options and desired course of action individuals are seeking. Another important factor in our journey towards patient engagement and activation.