Internet based repository of medical records that retains patient confidentiality

A patient's medical record has always been a dispersed entity. Literally defined, it is the accumulation of medical information concerning the patient. Ideally, this information is bundled in a single folder with the patient's identification data on the cover. In real life, this information is scattered between several archives (computerised and paper based) in various locations, often under different identifier numbers. Much of the information in the records is obsolete, redundant, duplicated, or indecipherable to the extent that it does not benefit the patient at the point of care.1 Ownership of the data is also a limiting issue. Many hospitals consider the records in their systems to be their property, whereas many patients argue that their medical information is their own. 2 3 Consequently, a distinction is made between ownership of the physical record and the right to access (or duplicate) data that are stored in it. Policies on this issue differ substantially between delivery networks, states, and countries. That said, it is typically agreed that patients have the right to be informed of the general content of their medical record and that patients' care providers must be allowed access to any information that is relevant to a patient's treatment. This approach endorses locking sensitive information (such as psychiatric evaluation or various serological findings) from some care providers but promoting access to what is “needed to know” for the provision of appropriate care. It is thus reasonable to assume that, between the patient and his or her primary healthcare coordinator (such as the family doctor), most of the “critical information” is within reach. For the purpose of our argument, we will assume that patients have rights of access to their medical information and are entitled to decide which parts of their record can be exposed or electronically published. In …