This is Why we should Share Ideas to avoid Fragmented Data in Healthcare:

Bad health data management almost cost me my life.

Looking back on a relatively long and often not so healthy life, I want to address something that is close to my heart.

When I was 6 years old, my tonsils were removed and that’s how I learned I’m “immune” to most painkillers and methods to sedate me.?

? Fast forward ? to 2019 and I get diagnosed with the big C and need major surgery to remove a kidney. To get my entire medical history (needed for a second opinion) proves to be a marathon and a torture, as some details never made it to digital and then still. I had been treated for several ailments and accidents during my life and now it proved difficult to get all info in one place.

I can hear you think, that’s normal..

BUT what isn’t normal is that a NUT allergy and the aforementioned resistance to drugs WERE in my files but not spotted by the anesthesiologist. This despite the fact that I filled out a questionnaire, even highlighting the ailments…?

If I wouldn’t have insisted to speak to him/her before the operation I would have been operated successfully and died of complications.

This made me have a vested interest in better/more efficient sharing of the information about my person, call me selfish!

This leads to patients losing confidence in hospitals and their treatments.

If I summarize this, then I could say that, I, as a patient, would prefer to stay alive and healthy which would mean that I appreciate a doctor to make less or rather NO mistakes or not find data relevant to care.

But it will also help in the confidence the patient has in the hospital and its specialists. When the patient will be able to monitor and even share information with first AND second line care, this will raise the level of confidence and trust.

There are ways to share data quickly and safely.

To be able to achieve this I realize I need to stick to the motto of my mentor and not just point a finger at a problem but think creatively about a SOLUTION. ??

The only way forward is making the patient the focal point, the TRUE OWNER of the data. To make this feasible the info can be anywhere but needs to be ACCESSIBLE when and where needed.

No more borders or silos.

Not just, like now, data in HUBS, Networks, associations etc, each with their own right of passage. We need unified, simplified and accessible data.

Authenticate the patient, get consent and access ALL relevant data.

We need government for rules and regulations to avoid abuse, to facilitate between parties, but for the rest leave it in the hands of professionals.

It's less complex and expensive than you think.

Doing just this simple thing doesn’t mean reshaping and re-inventing healthcare. It doesn’t require more financing or reshaping IT and services and it will give invaluable access to data that now exists, but is often neglected.

Not for nothing Belgians are the champions of saving (and not just in savings accounts, data is abundant, now we need access!)

It will also break the boundary around clinical data availability for trials and records can be made available on simple trust.

The patient will confidently see the doctor take educated and informed decisions, the hospital will see their patients be happy that they are served optimally and efficiently, and they will save money in not having to change things now or soon.

No retraining required of staff, so less errors… ?? Endless advantages! ??

So solutions are cheaper than we think. Then why are we not there yet?

Because we are waiting. For the government, for other parties to act. But because of this, nobody moves forward.

Instead of standing still, we should be getting together to create solutions.

Would it not be better to work with healthy data? So let's create ”l' Union fait la force” to ensure that happens

By following and using the hashtag #1patient1record4Belgium

I would implore you all to support my call to ??? follow #1patient1record4Belgium ??? and put our combined shoulders under a solution that will profit all. When you follow this hashtag, you will see more content about improving data management in healthcare on your LinkedIn feed and you will learn from the challenges and solutions we report about!

Go to #1patient1record4Belgium and click follow via this link:

https://www.dhirubhai.net/feed/hashtag/?keywords=1patient1record4belgium

Also, tag anyone that should do the same. We need to work together to create awareness of solutions and share ideas, so let's do just that.

Additionally, if you are actively interested in this topic, please also register for my Newsletter 1 Patient 1 Record 4 Belgium.

Thank you so much for your help.

Jan Vekemans - InterSystems