Managing External Health Information

As we move into a new era of health care with the increased exchange of medical records in order to provide better, more coordinated care, the question of what information received from outside an organization should be included in a medical record takes on new importance. What with health homes, personal health records, and health information exchanges, as well as increased involvement by patients using digital tools like smart watches and smart phone apps, there is a torrent of information being directed at medical records, and it is essential to understand what belongs there and what should be rejected, and how. This information may come in the form of unsolicited health information, for example, information that is volunteered by patients or by other health care providers, either at the time the patient arrives for treatment or thereafter, and in some cases even after the patient has been discharged.