Could technology help you manage your healthcare?

I was interested to read this Harris Interactive poll commissioned by the American Academy of Family Physicians of 1,193 U.S. women reporting to be the primary health care decision-makers in their households. The AAFP is promoting a patient-centered medical home, including electronic records management and continuity of care services.

It looks like most women could use some help navigating health care for their families. Sixty percent of the respondents say they face challenges in obtaining health care for themselves and their family members. These challenges center around communication and paperwork: women are filling out complete patient histories at each medical provider's office, carrying test reports from one medical provider's office to another, relaying recommendations and diagnoses between physicians, and sometimes even unnecessarily repeating lab tests because of mis-communications between medical providers.

You've been there, right? Me too. That's why I started WELLalarm. I want to harness the power of technology to help solve some of these problems -- for myself and for other patients.

After all, women love technology, and many of the women polled said they would like to use technology to better manage their health care. Sixty percent of the respondents say technology that lets physicians send electronic health records to other physicians is very or extremely important to them and/or their family members.

Sixty-three percent said that having a relationship with a doctor who knows their (or their family members') medical history is extremely/very important. And sixty-eight percent say obtaining a same-day appointment with their primary care physician for unexpected illnesses is extremely/very important.

What about you? We'd like to know what challenges you face in obtaining health care for yourself and your family. How do you feel about continuity of care services? Do you think the right technology could help you manage your family's health care better?

Graphic via iHealthbeat.

Comments

[Diana G]

There is almost nothing that can make you feel so frustrated and powerless as being a sick person, or having a sick family member, and facing the monolith of bureaucracy surrounding healthcare. It's one of the most dehumanising and demoralising experiences I've ever had. There has to be a better way.

And yes, I COMPLETELY agree that there has to be something that we, the people -- we, the WOMEN who are responsible for nearly all healthcare and related decision making (and spending) -- can do to take back some dignity and respect and trust. I believe technology could play a major part in this, but I don't have any practical suggestions for how. I only know something's got to give and somehow we have to break through to a better way.

If you have the good ideas, I'm willing to listen and do my part as well.