The need to overhaul digital health data for older patients

Recalling medical histories is time-consuming and challenging for any patient, but it becomes particularly distressing for older adults who must repeat their extensive medical history at every appointment, writes MARK WOODLAND, co-founder and CEO at Kismet.

As people age, they often find themselves managing various chronic conditions and medical interventions, and their health histories become increasingly complex. For older people, remembering all these details can be overwhelming.

If patient health data was properly documented and stored, older Australians wouldn’t have to remember all their past treatments, surgeries, medications or ailments. They wouldn’t have to recall the name of their heart surgeon, the last time they had physio on their hip, what the podiatrist said about the problem with their toenails or when their blood pressure was last checked.

The whole point of health records is to physically trace a patient’s health journey so that informed and real-time clinical decisions can be made about treatment and care.

Without clinical notes, the lack of data just perpetuates the sloppy cycle of duplicated treatments, ineffective routines and no better health outcomes for older people.

Figures from the most recent Australian Digital Health Agency annual report reveal that very few Australians or health providers use the government’s online national database — My Health — and those that do find that there is limited information available.

Digital health records can help solve the complexities of aged care and the responsibilities that come with it. Compiling medical histories is a huge administrative burden with which many older patients and their families struggle.

The shortcomings of the existing government-run My Health, and the many other fragmented and clunky electronic patient record platforms, has led to inefficiencies and gaps in aged care.

It’s clear that healthcare records aren’t up to date, they are not genuinely integrated and many healthcare providers are not actually using them.

The aged care sector in particular is impacted by current inefficient digital health systems, with distressing accounts of older patients having to detail their health, history and medications when they present to hospital.

The need to repeatedly recount their medical history increases the likelihood of inconsistencies and omissions which can adversely affect their quality of care.

Connecting and consolidating health records, particularly for members of the aging population, can help healthcare providers track changes to health status and manage complex health conditions more effectively.

Integrated digital medical records provide a checks-and-balance system for caregivers and family members so they know how their loved one or person they care for is doing.

Improving electronic medical record keeping systems will bring power and control back into the hands of those who need it — older Australians.

• Patient control: Give older patients and their carers and families the power to actively participate in the care required. With the help of an AI-driven voice command, patients, carers and family members can directly input details about their health without the need for typing or navigating complex interfaces.
• Better use of appointment time: Reviewing and gathering an older patient’s health status before an appointment reduces time wasted gathering and reviewing the information during the appointment so there’s a focus on their current status for future health.
• Continuity of care: Ensure continuity of care, especially in scenarios where older patients receive treatment from multiple providers or transition between healthcare settings.
• Reduce fraud, waste and cost inefficiencies: Once clinical notes are entered into the system it creates a verifiable trail of care and users, family members and carers can track their budgets and insurances. It ensures services rendered are accurately documented and align with billing claims.
   

About Kismet: Mark Woodland is the co-founder and CEO. Kismet is a digital health platform that integrates appointments, insurances, plans, health providers and a marketplace. Individuals can leverage and track their health insurance benefits to locate and schedule appointments with healthcare providers globally.

Image credit: iStock.com/Cecilie_Arcurs