Just like in 1776 with our Declaration of Independence, a new Web site is advocating a “Declaration of Health Data Rights.’ It states that we the people:
- Have the right to our own health data
- Have the right to know the source of each health data element
- Have the right to take possession of a complete copy of our individual health data, without delay, at minimal or no cost; if data exist in computable form, they must be made available in that form
- Have the right to share our health data with others as we see fit
Google Health, Microsoft, 23andMe, Dossia, the Personal Genome Project, and The Centre for Technology and Democracy are just a few of the organizations endorsing the Declaration.
Consumers have come to expect the level of service they receive from other industries - using the power of their browser to get information, conduct a transaction and take advantage of general communication tools to make everyday life easier. If I can get my online credit report (which includes private information and access to multiple systems), why is this is not the case with healthcare? I should be able to securely access my information from multiple systems and know that the information is specific to me, includes a complete overview of all available information and most importantly, is kept private.
Keep an eye out for many more grassroots movement to expand the capability of eHealth. Healthcare - it is time to join the 21st century.
Follow this link to for more information on the Declaration, www.healthdatarights.org.
