Understanding patient medical records and using them to make informed decisions about your health has typically been left to your physician. Mainly because medical records in their current format are indecipherable without a PhD. This obstacle to the effectiveness of our healthcare system could change in a dramatic way thanks to the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC) and the Department of Veteran Affairs' (VA) Health Design Challenge.
Designers across the country were tasked with reforming the patient health record. Over 230 submissions and three impressive finalists have given the ONC and VA a solid base for innovation. For a full report on the contest and its top submissions check out an article from reviews siteSoftware Advice and author David Fried, titled Three Firms Design the Patient Record of the Future.
Transforming medical records into intuitive user experiences isn't the only advancement making healthcare more accessible and affordable. Mobile devices are increasingly used to monitor and diagnose symptoms leading to the controversial topic of medical app regulation by the FDA. We'll be providing updates on these and other developments affecting the industry.
In the meantime, I recommend visiting ONC's Health Design Challenge home to view the complete showcase of submissions and the future of patient medical records.
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