A health record trust (also independent health record trust or health record data bank) provides a secure and protected place for individuals to create, use, and maintain their lifetime
electronic health record
An electronic health record (EHR) is the systematized collection of patient and population electronically stored health information in a digital format. These records can be shared across different health care settings. Records are shared throu ...
(EHR). The health record trust takes
personal health records one step further by combining an individual's electronic health record with the personal health record. A health record trust protects patient privacy by establishing that the patient is the owner of their health care records. It gives patients the authority to access and review the entire document at any time. It allows healthcare professionals, facilities, and organizations to view all or a limited portion of the records.
The health record trust allows for all of the information to be in one central document. Patients cannot alter their health records but instead add notes and request corrections. They can also view every provider who downloads their EHR.
Public policy
The legislation was introduced in the
110th Congress
The 110th United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, between January 3, 2007, and January 3, 2009, during the last two years of the Presidency of George W. Bush. It was composed of ...
to establish a regulatory framework for establishing health record trusts. The Independent Health Record Trust Act of 2007 (H.R. 2991) was introduced by Rep.
Dennis Moore (D-KS) and Rep.
Paul Ryan
Paul Davis Ryan (born January 29, 1970) is an American former politician who served as the List of Speakers of the United States House of Representatives, 54th speaker of the United States House of Representatives from 2015 to 2019. A member o ...
(R-WI) on July 11, 2007. The legislation seeks to give people control over their lifetime health records, with the broader goal of reducing
healthcare costs
Health care prices in the United States of America describes market and non-market factors that determine pricing, along with possible causes as to why prices are higher than other countries. Compared to other OECD countries, U.S. healthcare costs ...
that result from inefficiency, medical errors, inappropriate care, and incomplete information. This legislation provides standards for using health record trusts, including certifications and interoperability of independent health record trusts. HR 2991 was referred to the
House Committee on Energy and Commerce and the
House Committee on Ways and Means. The bill died in committee and has not been reintroduced.
Patients receive better quality of care with the availability of a longitudinal health record protected by a health record trust. They can pass along their medical records to future generations. Health record trusts promote wellness and improve patient care through quick and easy access to critical health information.
Implementations
Arizona's eHealthTrust health record bank launched in 2010 with a
freemium
Freemium, a portmanteau of the words "free" and "premium," is a pricing strategy by which a basic product or service is provided free of charge, but money (a premium) is charged for additional features, services, or virtual (online) or physical (o ...
pricing strategy. In 2012,
Harvard University's
Data Privacy Lab Data Privacy Lab is a program dedicated to teaching and research in areas related to privacy technology. The Data Privacy Lab in Harvard University is operating in the Institute for Quantitative Social Science (IQSS). Latanya Sweeney founded the Lab ...
launched MyDataCan, offering free data storage and distribution with optional integration for third-party app, both free and paid.
See also
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Health information exchange
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Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology
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Regional Health Information Organization A Regional Health Information Organization (RHIO, pronounced ''rio''), also called a Health Information Exchange Organization, is a multistakeholder organization created to facilitate a health information exchange (HIE) – the transfer of heal ...
References
External links
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Electronic health records
Healthcare in the United States
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