Why Don't Hospitals Share Information?

[Caran]

I had to go to A&E today. OH gave me no choice. I've been having severe stomach pains and more episodes of the shakes.
Saw a nice triage nurse who took my full history.
Then saw another slightly senior one who took my history.
They made an appointment for me to see a doctor in 3 hours.
When I saw him he asked why I was there. None of my info had been forwarded to him. Why is this?
Anyway I'm now on penicillin for an upper urinary infection .( I think that's what he said)
The shakes or I think he said rigors are because I have a high temperature.
Anyway he says I should be ok in seven days. I hope so as we go to France a week tomorrow.

[Old_Geezer]

Maybe it breaks the data protection laws ;-)

[Mamyalynne]

Notes should follow you round, poor do - but they'd still ask again anyway.

Hope the antibiotics soon kick in.

[tonyav]

Hope this infection has cleared up in time for your trip then, Caran.
Gawd know's why your info hadn't been forwarded to the doc though.

[marval]

Your information should be shared, for quicker treatment. Hope you feel better soon, for your holiday.

[Caran]

Thank you all for very kind posts.

[Mamyalynne]

You were diagnosed two weeks ago on here, though I do understand why you put off getting seen to - we all do it. :-)

[Caran]

The doctor even asked me to do a urine specimen when I had done one when I first came in.
I would have thought they shared everything by computer.

[Mamyalynne]

You'd think they would yes.

[vetuste_ennemi]

Nothing to do with data protection as such, Caran. You can design systems which cater for privileged access. The answer is that the IT systems on which successive governments have spent billions have been designed by out-sourced and very expensive incompetents.

We went into central London two years ago for an operation on my wife's eye. This at the recommendation of the GP and a referral to an eye specialist at the local hospital.

Pre-Op interview:

Them: Do you have a list of your wife's medications?
Us: No, but you will find all of it on her records at the local practice.
Them: Can't see that. Cancel Op. Arrange for different day. And do not[i forget the list.

Another specialist hospital treating my wife for COPD. First visit (yes, you've guessed, list of medications) [i]and[i] fill in form (paper) name, address, next of kin blah, blah, blah.

Six months later same hospital. No, didn't want meds, but still [i]required] name address next of kin and there's a pen.

I hold up paper in left hand. I'm wearing the "Been there, done that" T-shirt.

Can't help myself: "There's a squarey thing in front of you along with a flatty thing with numbers and letters on it. Could have sworn that's a computer. But you're going to tell me it's something else, aren't you? Let me guess, it's not a sandwich-maker is it?".

I feel rather bad, because the admin person looks up, shakes his or her head sadly and says "Yeah, I know, don't tell me about it.".

[wolf63]

I had to go to A&E after a cat bite became infected. The nurse who saw me asked me if it was okay if she looked at my medical records on the computer. I had no problems with this but I asked her - what if I said 'no'. She said that people do say this and it meant that they wouldn't have access to the drugs that I am on and other important information. Why would anyone not allow access to this information? Folk are weird!

[ummmm]

I was in hospital end of last year and when I went to the gp they had all the info needed.

[roopower]

I thought that was the idea when we gave permission for medical notes to be shared via computer. My doctor had my hospital notes when I went in for an emergency operation a couple of years ago. The nurse asked me if they could check my record.

[Hopkirk]

Isn't it better that you tell the doctor the symptoms directly? That eliminates the risk of 'chinese whispers' mistakes.

[ummmm]

I wouldn't say Chinese whispers, they'll know by the medication dished out.

[marval]

When I go to the hospital, they have all my information on their computer. They are shared with my doctor's surgery, it makes things so much easier.