Scott MacStravic, Ph.D.
The growing support for and impetus in developing and implementing electronic health records that can serve multiple providers serving patients throughout local markets, regions, states, and the US, even overseas, speaks well for the future. While there are huge hurdles yet to overcome, in terms of agreements on interoperability, essential content and sharing – on their financing, privacy protection and security, etc., there is also a major potential often overlooked in most discussions of EHRs, their prospective or proactive uses.
In the main, medical records have been initiated and maintained in reaction to the arrival of a patient seeking care from some symptoms, signs or concerns about existing disease or injury. The idea of a “problem-oriented” medical record, for example, championed the idea of such perceived problems being the focus of the record and the basis for patient care management. But in addition to existing problems, there are three other patient concerns that may warrant inclusion in providers efforts to meet their needs, and in EHRs, as well.
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