Lack of Access to Health Information Kills

Dave and Jeanne Canfield
SOUTH CAROLINA

Active Elderly Couple Managing Multiple Health Conditions

"We got in the car and my husband looked at me and said, 'I could have been dead.'"
- Jeanne Canfield

Eighty-four-year-old Dave Canfield is on dialysis and has two knee replacements, two stents, and a pacemaker that his life depends on. Dave’s wife, Jeanne Canfield, is thorough and proactive when it comes to his medical care. She carries a briefcase detailing all procedures and medications that apply to Dave’s health to each and every medical appointment. But, unfortunately Dave is a patient who has witnessed multiple medical oversights due to a lack of electronic health information.

In April 2005, Dave had a magnetic resonance image (MRI) appointment at a local hospital. Dave and Jeanne filled out the two pieces of paper that they were handed and marked “yes” notifying the physicians of his knee replacements, stents, and pacemaker. The completed questionnaire failed to catch the attention of the hospital staff. The Canfields were escorted to a private waiting area where Jeanne vocally mentioned Dave’s stent and pacemaker information to the staff members. It was at that moment that Dave and Jeanne were informed that an MRI would cause his pacemaker to stop completely, killing Dave. Had Dave’s nephrologist, who manages up to 250 patients, had access to Dave’s medical records from all of his specialists, this potentially fatal mistake could have been avoided.

Sadly, in May 2005, Dave experienced a similar situation regarding preparation for an operation. Jeanne was unable to read the handwriting of Dave’s doctor instructing him to stop taking Plavic, a prescribed blood thinner. Plavic is dangerous to take if you are going into an operation. Dave was still taking Plavic up until the day of his operation due to Jeanne’s inability to read the doctor’s handwriting. The hospital staff caught this oversight and postponed the operation until Dave stopped taking the medication.

These two examples of potentially serious medical oversights could have been prevented with the use of interoperable electronic medical information. Jeanne does her best to follow Dave’s care and inform medical professionals about his existing conditions and medications. However, it is not always possible for her to be in the right place at the right time, especially lacking the necessary professional medical knowledge.