A new health startup creating secure electronic records using blockchain technology has entered into a groundbreaking partnership with a local GP.
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Secure Health Chain founder and neurosurgeon Dr Robert Laidlaw said the innovative Gwynneville Medical Practice will be the first to trial the new system in the New Year.
Dr Jenny Smiley has more than four decades experience as a GP said she was delighted to be the first practice to initiate the system because she can see the benefits for all patients.
“I think an electronic health record is a really valuable concept as long as it is secure,” she said.
“It is something that has been adopted by a lot of GP’s here in the Illawarra. But hospital doctors until recently didn’t know it existed.
I think an electronic health record is a really valuable concept as long as it is secure
- Dr Jenny Smiley
“Recently there has been a lot of beat-up about security and it has made people frightened about registering for an electronic health record.
“So if we can give them an alternative that we can guarantee is secure then I feel that is a really important move forward in the way primary health care interacts with hospital medicine”.
Dr Smiley said it would help doctors and patients have access to a lot more information such as what drugs are being taken and what allergies a person has, especially if they visit hospital after hours.
She said as a GP of 40 years she knew her patients well but in an emergency situation in a hospital the doctors and nurses may never have seen that person before.
Secure Health Chain is a way to have immediate access to everything for those willing to have their health record all there.
Dr Smiley said it would also reduce double ups on tests that may have already been done.
“This is a very health literate practice,” she said.
“I am very lucky here because patients already do take ownership and monitor their own health issues. I don’t have to do a lot of chasing. So it is an ideal clientele for this”.
Dr Laidlaw said he could not wait to begin empowering Gwynneville Medical Practice patients with control of their own health data in early 2019.
“We have group of practices ready to sign on. Jenny Smiley is the first. I have known her for many years and she has always expressed an interest in leading technologies in medicine. And he runs a very reputable practice. We are building the proof of concept now for the platform. And that is going to be launching in January. So we are going to offer it to patients here”.
Greg Ellis
Almost four decades in electronic, print and digital media. A writer, presenter, emcee, photographer and videographer with degrees in business management, marketing and human resources and tertiary qualifications in photography.
Almost four decades in electronic, print and digital media. A writer, presenter, emcee, photographer and videographer with degrees in business management, marketing and human resources and tertiary qualifications in photography.
