We all want access to our healthcare records, not just a piece of them when we visit our Doctor’s office or in a folder that sits in our closet and never gets updated. We especially want to make sure that it’s us, the patients, who have complete access. No part should be hidden away or unreasonably difficult to access.

So why are 90% of hospitals and clinics losing patient data? And when they are not losing it, one in five records are not accurately matched; even within the same health care systems. This is a huge problem… not only for patients, but for bigger entities as well. No hospital wants to be known for losing and/or mismatching data and none of us want that happening to our records. We just want to know that they are safe and sound, and that we can see them when we need to. Is that too much to ask?

Speaking of which, patients don’t need a reason to request their medical records. I know I want access to my records to help me make healthier decisions in my life, you may have a different reason or none at all. Every day we don’t have access to our records begs the question “Who actually owns this medical information?” because it sure doesn’t seem like it’s you or me.

How can we control our health if we don’t have access to our health records?

What it comes down to is interoperability or in plain English; sharing between systems. Entities in the healthcare field need to start talking ‘data’ to each other. Are there too many Electronic Medical Records systems(EMRs) in the game right now? 26 in Boston alone says John Halamka, chief information officer at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center. And getting these systems to talk to each other is a nightmare. What we need is for these businesses to come together and bring the patient back into focus, not just numbers and data, but real people… how do they do this?

Utilizing blockchain technology, that’s how.

Make sure to check out our telegram and website for updates on just how MedChain is using blockchain technology to solve real world healthcare issues!