Access to health information – improved but could be better

On any given day when he’s treating emergency room patients at Methodist Health System, Joe McCaslin, MD, knows he may need information in a moment’s notice. He knows accessing a patient’s medical history without delay can be a matter of life and death. 

At his disposal, he said, is an array of medical databases that provide patients’ immunization records, prescription drug histories and other vital information. 

During the early days of his medical career, McCaslin said, receiving such information took hours, sometimes days. Now, it’s a matter of minutes or seconds. 

“Access to medical record information is vital anytime you’re taking care of patients,” Dr. McCaslin said.

Physicians Bulletin, A Publication of the Metro Omaha Medical Society: Access to health information – improved but could be better