Published: August 3rd 2021
Over the years, technological innovation has been a real driver for progress in most societies.
Smartphone technology is a contemporary example, as it places so much within convenient reach. It has become so integrated in our everyday lives, it’s hard to imagine a time that required us to drive to a bank and wait in line to get a few dollars or deposit a check.
How does this affect our medical transactions today?
Earlier blogs "Six Benefits of Owning Your Health Data", "Six Types of Medical Data You Should Own: A 360-Degree View of Your Health" and "Why Owning your Medical Data is a Human Right" addressed owning our health data and the benefits of gaining access to our complete medical records. Not only does owning a copy of our medical data provide transparency, but it can also support the quality of care we receive.
As many can attest, it can be challenging to juggle care for ailing family members while trying to access their medical information. Easy retrieval of your loved one’s data can help you better manage their healthcare needs.
Medical data privacy and other things you need to know
Health information is valuable and is also considered sensitive data. Unauthorized use or disclosure can put patients at risk.
While medical privacy can vary across the world, most countries have laws that enforce the security and confidentiality of patient records. While understandable, this creates an obstacle for caregivers who may find themselves up against medical privacy rules when attempting to gain access to their family member’s medical data. Often, clinicians refuse to disclose any information, claiming that medical privacy prevents them from doing so. Passed in 1996, the U.S. Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) is a federal law designed to increase privacy precautions within medical institutions. The HIPAA Privacy Rule does not require a healthcare provider or health plan to share information with patient’s family or friends, unless they are your personal representatives. Under this act, healthcare providers can limit data access to a patient’s personal representative only. While there are different ways healthcare systems around the world identify an authorized personal representative - such as providing their National Health Identification Number - the U.S. has an extensive manual process due to the standard Preferred Provider Organization (PPO) system.
This process can significantly restrict or deny access to a family member’s medical records, in turn impacting a caretaker’s ability to manage their care in the most optimal way.
Introducing the Sovereignty Network’s Family App.
The Sovereignty Network initiative gives patients around the world access to and ownership of their medical data and that of their family members and loved ones. Every individual should be able to experience the benefits inherent in owning a copy of their healthcare records.
We designed our innovative app to unite medical institutions and medical data standards around the globe. This will provide easy access to medical data, directly from personal smartphones.
Our goal is to create an intuitive and reliable ecosystem that empowers patients and their families to achieve the best healthcare possible through more informed decision-making.
The Family App is an additional feature which allows a caregiver to retrieve a family member’s medical data. This will provide access to important health-related information, saving time and effort.
We’re supporting better healthcare outcomes globally through medical data access
The Sovereignty Network supports individuals from all different walks of life, across all parts of the world, in their effort to take ownership and control of their own medical data and that of people in their care.
For most of us, our family’s health is a top priority. We strive to empower individuals and families with access to their healthcare data and medical records.
Register for the Sovereignty Network family app today!
Click here to pre-register for the Sovereignty Network App