Regardless of where you fall on the ObamaCare spectrum, you know healthcare must be reformed in America.  We pay too much and get too little in return.  The real fact is that the key to better health is not better science.  We already have great science- whether we can afford it, is another question; whether it is properly employed is yet another.  The problem with better health is people and information (which, in this case, is related)- in other words, implementation.

Patients are not compliant.  Mostly because health is a long term issue- and we make short term decisions thinking we can fix the problem later, there will be a simpler solution later, or because of the “Superman” syndrome (our belief that bad things will happen to another and not me, or not this time).  Even when we tell patients what they need to do, they generally do not do it.  (Think of folks who are told to lose weight, or why people elect to smoke.)

We have been using fear as a motivator to better health care decisions- but fear does not work.  Oh, yes, there is data that the new scary pictures with which we plan to adorn cigarette packs will scare folks to stop smoking.  (From your mouths to G-d’s ears.)   But, trust me, it won’t really happen.  The only thing that works is empowerment.  And, therein lies the rub.  We have not figured out how to ake the patient feel empowered at all times- and routinely.

As stated above, healthcare results are far removed from the action.  “Health” does not happen all at once- it is the culmination of a series of choices we make over the years.  There is no dashboard that flashes yellow or red as we make bad choices- because each choice, in and of itself, may not be the proximate cause.

It’s why we need personal health care records (PHR) .  It is one way we can have a dashboard that works- because the cumulative effect of our previous choices in conjunction with our current action can provide a green, yellow, or red indicators immediately.

The Markle Foundation Study determined that most (74%) of physicians wanted to share information with their colleagues electronically, but that is almost 5X (17%) the true number who do so.  When it comes to patient information, almost ½ (47%) the physicians felt they should share information electronically- but that is 10X the current rate (5%).   Patients and doctors agree that about 1/3 of the time, physicians forgot or don’t employ information provided by the patient.  But, 94% of  physicians and 30% of the patients feel information imparted by the physicians is lost on the patient.  No wonder information is lost between doctors and patients. Given either fact (30% is lost or 94% is lost), it means physicians should provide a written summary to patients after each visit.

So, don’t wait. review your options now.  Speak to your doctor to make sure he/she is willing to help you maintain your records.  (If they have no comment or are not willing to do so, perhaps you should consider changing your primary physician.)  But, start using your own PHR to monitor where you are on the health horizon and make the proper choices.  Your family will appreciate it!

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