Check out this short but impactful essay entitled, “In the US, patient data privacy is an illusion” by my friend and mentor Dr. Harlan Krumholz, in the British Medical Journal. The piece describes just how little control patients in the United States have over what happens to their healthcare data stored on modern computers, networks, and “in the cloud.”
In enigmatic cases where the diagnosis is unclear, obtaining an accurate history often leads to the correct diagnosis. Patients, including those with disorders of brain function, are often unable to give an accurate history, and collateral sources, including electronic medical records, can be the key to arriving at the correct diagnosis. While issues of privacy are a concern, often obtaining vital information is delayed because of fear of the consequences of releasing medical information. When physicians must make critical life-saving or life-altering decisions, this can be a barrier to optimal care.
Although I understand your reasoning that drug screening is often superfluous, there are situations where it is useful.
In enigmatic cases where the diagnosis is unclear, obtaining an accurate history often leads to the correct diagnosis. Patients, including those with disorders of brain function, are often unable to give an accurate history, and collateral sources, including electronic medical records, can be the key to arriving at the correct diagnosis. While issues of privacy are a concern, often obtaining vital information is delayed because of fear of the consequences of releasing medical information. When physicians must make critical life-saving or life-altering decisions, this can be a barrier to optimal care.
Although I understand your reasoning that drug screening is often superfluous, there are situations where it is useful.