Whose Data Is It Anyway?
[E]ven though Campos’ ICD [an implantable cardioverter-defibrillator] can wirelessly transmit data twice a day about his heart and the ICD itself, that information goes only to his doctor. Campos has to make an appointment and ask for a printout. And that, he says, just doesn’t seem fair.
Amy Standen’s article at NPR.
Thankfully it doesn’t sound like physicians are questioning his right to the data, just his ability to understand it. Still, that seems like a cop-out. It’s akin to a doctor taking an x-ray then refusing to let you see it when you ask. It’s data on his health so he should be allowed access to it.
That reminds me of a scene from the movie, Monty Python the Meaning of Life. A pregnant woman is in labor on the table at the hospital Labor & Delivery department. Doctors and medical personnel are preparing for the birth. Two of the doctors are discussing the technology needed in the room — including orders to bring in the hospital’s machine that goes PING!
When the pregnant woman asks what’s she’s supposed to do (to help with the delivery) she’s told “nothing dear, you’re not qualified.“
This is a complete mystery to me. They have no business keeping the data from the patients.