With the introduction of innovative information management tools for sharing patient data with providers and keeping it secure from third parties, the process of communication within the healthcare context has changed significantly. On the one hand, the levels of patients’ data security have risen noticeably, even with the presence of cyberattacks as a threat. On the other hand, obtaining one’s own health records when switching providers or making a similar change has become much more complicated. By introducing transparency between a health provider and a patent, one could increase the efficacy of the current electronic health record (EHR) system, as well as prevent data from getting lost or omitted in the process.
Based on my personal experience with requesting information when changing therapists, the process of browsing through the available information slows down vastly due to the lack of cohesion in the management of data and the absence of transparency between a patient and a healthcare provider. Where the former could offer insightful and helpful clues and assist with the search, a healthcare provider ha to perform the necessary procedures independently. With the lack of transparency in the management of patients’ personal data, essential bits of it will be lost and omitted.
The reasoning behind the current approach toward patients’ data management is understandable. The lack of transparency in the management of health records stems from the need to safeguard patients’ privacy and ensure their safety. However, the described approach reaches absurdity when patients themselves cannot access their medical records. Thus, transparency in communication between a patient and a healthcare provider is needed.