Medical Assistants May Find Patients Willing To Trade Privacy For Electronic Records
May 20, 2009
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President Barack Obama has called for a full conversion to electronic medical record keeping as part of his efforts to streamline and reform healthcare, bringing up questions of privacy and portability. A recent study shows that many patients are willing to forgo some privacy for full access to their own medical records, possibly transforming the way medical assitant jobs are done.
"For the most part, patients are very comfortable with the idea of computers playing a central role in their care," said the study's lead author Jan Walker of Harvard Medical School. Walker said the study found people wanted their medical records to be fully transparent - they were willing to give up some privacy as long as they themselves also had access to the information and it could be given to new healthcare providers easily.
The change to electronic medical records is likely to cause a shift in how certified medical assistants relate to the patients. The medical assistant is often on the front line of acquiring patient histories and keeping track of medical records, a new sort of competency will be needed as the digital revolution takes hold. If you are ready to be part of the revolution, maybe it is time to become a medical assistant.
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