Medical record scam

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Ralph-YK

Ralph-YK

Much missed Member
Relationship to Diabetes
Type 2
I got a random, unexpected email this week. Offering access to my records. Likely wanting info to allow access. I wonder if they'll ask for a fee.
Must be a scam email, fishing
 
Ralph-YK said:
I got a random, unexpected email this week. Offering access to my records. Likely wanting info to allow access. I wonder if they'll ask for a fee.
Must be a scam email, fishing
Click to expand...
Not necessarily, though it’s wise to be cautious, I had a telephone consultation with my hopsital this week, and afterwards got an email from the hospital inviting me to look up my next appointment letter online, at something called DrDoctor, which I think is another of these external providers. Because mine was a follow up to an appointment, and was expecting it, and it came from the genuine hospital website, I clicked the link, and found my appointment letter, but had it been a direct approach from DrDoctor I’d have been wary.
I wonder if there’s anything on your hospital website saying they are now using Patientsknowbest.
 
Certainly best to exercise caution. In Scotland we have access to our test results and health information through an NHS/Scottish Government platform called My Diabetes My Way. Its actually very good for keeping track, the registration is robust and the sign up process is secure. Yours could be legit but worth thoroughly checking first.
 

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Supposed to have access allowed. GP is supposed to allow access to my records. They don't just let you have it though. Certainly don't offer. And this is "them" contacting "me".
With actual medical people there's always gate keeping, etc to get through.
 
I thought no spelling mistakes these days does not guarantee it is not a scam.
 
I think it's genuine too, at least, it has been mentioned to me elsewhere. But if it is genuine if you ring your GP and ask them if it is OK, they will be able to tell you yes or no.
 
If you look at the website it all looks very slick, so how do they make their money? With any organisation, if you join up for a service and it’s free then you are the product for sale. Google is the master of this funding arrangement. The website shows an outline map of England and Scotland, but I doubt very much they are operating in Scotland. In Scotland there is MyDiabetes MyWay, based in Dundee, which tells you all your results and latest HbA1c, often before the GP knows it. They are tapping in to the fully integrated computer system in NHS Scotland. If I were to be admitted to hospital in Dumfries, and my records were in Inverness, the hospital would be able to access my full record (including GP records). With that system in place, there is no need to carry access to your records on your phone. In other words, the NHS in Scotland runs the show.

I have no interest at all in accessing my medical records in any event. I don’t intend to join any such organisation until I find out where the money is coming from, and if I do find out that will probably make me less likely to join up. If anyone does sign up, and then you find a few targeted ads appearing on your Facebook account regarding health conditions, then you know how they operate. Needless to say, I don’t have, and never will have a Facebook account.
 
mikeyB said:
If you look at the website it all looks very slick, so how do they make their money? With any organisation, if you join up for a service and it’s free then you are the product for sale.
Click to expand...

By being contracted by N.H.S. providers as an off-the-shelf solution to offer online access to their services. It being, in their opinion, better and cheaper to take advantage of a larger platform than to pay to develop and operate their own bespoke services. The same as with other similar apps and websites from other providers.

My Diabetes My Way is similarly not an N.H.S. service, but is developed by a private company MyWay Digital Health and is contracted by N.H.S. Scotland, as well as some providers elsewhere in the U.K.

They also have a slick website at https://mywaydigitalhealth.co.uk/

mikeyB said:
In Scotland there is MyDiabetes MyWay, based in Dundee, which tells you all your results and latest HbA1c, often before the GP knows it. They are tapping in to the fully integrated computer system in NHS Scotland. If I were to be admitted to hospital in Dumfries, and my records were in Inverness, the hospital would be able to access my full record (including GP records). With that system in place, there is no need to carry access to your records on your phone. In other words, the NHS in Scotland runs the show.
Click to expand...

What if you have medical conditions other than diabetes? What if you travel outside of Scotland? What if you travel outside of the U.K.?

There is no "need" for anyone to have such access to their medical records. But it is seen by most people, patients and doctors, as a good thing to give them the ability to understand their care, be better able to make informed decisions, and to take control over their care.

That is the point of such services, be they Patient Knows Best, My Way, or any other. They are not designed so you can share it with other doctors but for private access. Although being able to access your medical history when abroad, where doctors would otherwise have no access, is an additional benefit.

My surgery used to use the Patient Access system, which was basic but worked. But then just before the first lockdown switched to a system developed by the group they were part of. Either they felt big enough they could justify their own development, or planned to contract it to other surgeries and providers.

But it only works on newer phones, and so it left me with no online access to my G.P. other than for ordering repeat prescriptions, as the Patient Access system somehow still works. Which as someone shielding left me effectively without health care at a time when I was having trouble with my diabetes, caused almost a year of delay in getting that addressed, and lead me to having to complain to my M.P. twice about their lack of service.

Originally their F.A.Q. promised a web version would be coming soon, but that seems to have been removed now so maybe that will no longer happen. So personally I am a fan of proven and tested off-the-shelf solutions that work for everyone than a bespoke service that leaves people without healthcare.

ButI have no opinion on the business practices or products of Patient Knows Best or MyWay Digital Health as I have no experience of them, but both and run by doctors and I doubt there is much difference between them.
 
If you are suspicious, ask the surgery rather than speculating
I appreciate GP surgeries are busy but that is no excuse to risk clicking the wrong link on a scam email.
My surgery has an "office number" for non appointment calls
 
helli said:
If you are suspicious, ask the surgery rather than speculating
I appreciate GP surgeries are busy but that is no excuse to risk clicking the wrong link on a scam email.
My surgery has an "office number" for non appointment calls
Click to expand...
Ralph-YK died some time ago.
 
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