Medical Records Need to be Stored in the Cloud

Ronald L. Abate

Doctors need to know your medical history before providing treatment. This is necessary in order to avoid procedures or drugs that may be harmful for certain patients. Also, to avoid needless duplication like trying to formulate a diagnosis of an already known condition. Often, the individual may not know much of their own medical history or may be too ill, even unconscious, to provide information. For example, a patient may have had an adverse reaction to a previously administered medication.

Placing ones medical information in the cloud, including dental records, has the potential to provide their medical history instantly to any location in the world at any time. The cloud is the internet where computer applications and stored data are located. All that is needed to retrieve this data is a computer, an internet connection, and a password. The latter is required so only you and your doctor have access to your history. Ideally, the need for passwords can be eliminated through the use of the patient’s physical attributes such as finger prints or a facial scan. This would be required where accident victims are too seriously injured or even unconscious.

Unfortunately, change occurs slowly. The medical establishment should act soon to use the cloud as the place to store medical records. This has the potential to streamline the diagnostic and treatment process. Many lives can be saved.