Electronic Medical Records

Patients, privacy and employers

Take Care Staff — Sun, 26 May 2013 23:01:00 +0000

Your employer is concerned about rising insurance costs and you don’t want to see your benefits slashed, so they ask you to participate in some medical tests and enroll in a wellness plan. If you and your fellow employees participate, you’ll qualify for discounts on your premium and deductible.

Is this an invasion of privacy? Where do these records go and who will see them? Will your colleagues know if you didn’t participate in the wellness program?

This week, “Take Care” interviews Dr. Deborah Peel, a physician, and a leading advocate for patients’ rights and the founder of Patient Privacy Rights, a bipartisan coalition for patient privacy. Dr. Peel says she understands the need to have healthy, happy employees but does not agree with what she calls the “short-sighted” solution.

Click "Read More" to hear our interview with Dr. Deborah Peel.

A step closer to online patient portals

Kate O'Connell — Tue, 07 May 2013 20:25:15 +0000

The state is one step closer to giving patients access to their medical information online. The New York e-Health Collaborative has announced nine finalists in their competition to design an online patient portal.

$4.2 million to help streamline patient care coordination

Kate O'Connell — Wed, 17 Oct 2012 21:14:12 +0000

Eight companies will share in $4.2 million to help streamline patient care coordination and medical record sharing in New York state. The early-to-middle stage health IT companies will receive up to $300,000 each.

Syracuse hospital begins using new electronic medical record program

Ellen Abbott — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 13:11:33 +0000

The records of outpatients at Upstate University Hospital are entering a new digital world. The hospital has started installing a new electronic medical records program that will among other things, allow patients to access all their medical records on their computers or smartphones. WRVO's Ellen Abbott reports.