Steven Keating gathered all his medical records and successfully diagnosed his own brain tumor nearly eight years after an abnormality was spotted.
Mr. Keating, a 26-year-old doctoral student at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology's Media Lab, has collected approximately 70 gigabytes of his medical data. After a brain scan in 2007 revealed a small abnormality, he monitored his condition and pushed physicians to conduct an MRI when he began smelling whiffs of vinegar in 2014, potentially evidence of brain abnormalities, according to the New York Times.
Some experts say that Mr. Keating's case is an example of how patients could better monitor their own health if they had more complete access to their records. Many medical groups are now allowing patients broader access to their records and their physicians' notes through technology such as OpenNotes or patient portals. Mr. Keating had an advantage as a scientist accustomed to research, but even well-informed patients will face difficulty from the medical industry in accessing their records, according to the report.
Providing patients with more access could also aid hospitals and healthcare organizations in the transition to accountable care. If patients monitor their own wellness, it alleviates the burden of care providers are asked to give, according to the report.