You might relate to this Short Story

Tom is visiting a dermatologist for the first time. The doctor asks Tom, “What medications are you taking?” This is not a simple question, and he has trouble recalling all the information:  medication names, doses, how often he takes, and on and on and on. Oh, the most important question: “Who is the prescribing physician for each?” Tom is not even entirely sure why he has been prescribed some of them!

Tom is not alone. Most consumers find it difficult to answer basic yet important questions about their health. “When was your last tetanus shot?” “What is your total cholesterol?” “When did you have it checked?”  “When was your last mammogram?” “What did it show?”

Most people take little personal ownership of their health information. Tom is not to blame. He relies on his doctors to keep good records. “My new doctor will get my chart from my old doctor”, he thinks. He has it all figured out. But the fact is that this doesn’t always work. Unless you are dealing with a very major illness, most doctors don’t request records for routine exams and proceed to make diagnosis unaware of the patient’s accurate health history.

Tom’s friend Bob, on the other hand, has a slightly different version of the same story. He is part of a growing population with access to their “Patient-Centered” Health records. Even before he would show up to his doctor’s appointment, Bob would fill out all the necessary paperwork online and send it along with his updated health records.  Bob is an engaged patient that does his research, expects his time to be valued, and looks for simple, convenient tools to manage his busy lifestyle. Engaged patients stay informed, are comfortable discussing health issues, asking questions, and challenging their doctor when necessary.

See how iMARSMED can reinvent health records and health delivery.