Reminds me of my awesome GP's letter to his patients explaining his feelings on the new required by law electronic charting.
"Please bear with us while I and my staff learn this new system as your wait times will be dramatically increased. Also understand this new system will in no way, shape, or form improve your quality of care."
So in the metric system 180cm(roughly 6 feet) is greater than 110kg(roughly 232lbs) is greater than 105(systolic blood pressure) is greater than pulse 84.
In US system it is much harder. 71 inches in greater than 70lbs(very skinny) which is greater than 68(systolic blood pressure) which is greater than pulse 54. But honestly you're probably in hospice dying of advanced cancer if those are your vitals.
After my wife's cancer we spent almost 22 months (yes, months) trying get readable records from 5 different facilities involving about 20 People who treated her in some way. A huge portion of that time, and the bulk of the eventual $10,000 expense was in getting actual translations of scrawled notes. We had transcriptions that were not even non-English, much less actually understandable. At one point I had 7 transcriptions of the same surgical noted and each had significant differences. I don't know if electronic health records are better than this. They could hardly be worse.
I'm a retired medical transcriptionist, retired because the client went to voice-recognition software. I just hope that works for them. While Dr. Grumpy uses it, he makes mention of checking his dictations over, which is how it's supposed to be done. Most hospitals, doctors' offices, etc. just saw medical transcription as overhead, but they're likely to find that we did a lot more than just type.
The problem is that height and blood pressure are conjugate observables, such that you can measure one with arbitrary precision, but then you lose information about the other. ∆(height) x ∆(bp) ≥ h/4π, where ∆ is the uncertainty and h is Planck's constant.
I know bugs have to be worked out. I went to see my internist yesterday and she could not find tests I'd had, even the flu shot I had in her office a few months ago.
If you have memory issues, that is scary. She was trying not to show it, but it was making the doctor unhappy, too.
This practice started electronic records a while ago. When the nurse or med tech took data, reviewed meds, there was a laptop in the room. That was fine, but when the nurse started coming into the exam room with the dratted laptop with the doctor, that is too much.
I know it is to save time and improve accuracy. I see one specialist who never looks at me, just the *&^% charting program. It makes me angry and wonder if he sees ME, the patient, not just a chart checklist. (Don't tell me to change practices, this one is the only one in town in this specialty)
But, having another person in the room during exams is disconcerting. I don't know how confidential what I say is with another person in the room. I can't concentrate on seeing my doctor.
But, but, but President Obama saind this would make everything wonderful! Obamacare is great, all your private medical information is now available for anyone with computer access, nothing just your doctor. What could ever go wrong?
I used to work for a medical transcription company. I was in the IS department and was instrumental in creating a system that did not produce gibberish.
Medical transcription is hard enough, but when you add a plethora of MDs that can't be bothered to learn the English language, the whole thing turns into a fiasco. All that's missing are the Three Stooges in a pie fight.
On examination, the greater than height is greater than, weight greater than, blood pressure greater than and pulse greater than.
ReplyDeleteTranslation: The patient was Tony the Tiger, and he's GRRRRRRRREAT!
Reminds me of my awesome GP's letter to his patients explaining his feelings on the new required by law electronic charting.
ReplyDelete"Please bear with us while I and my staff learn this new system as your wait times will be dramatically increased. Also understand this new system will in no way, shape, or form improve your quality of care."
I think it's safe to assume he's not a fan.
"Okay, for the first Mad Lib, I need a mathematical symbol..."
ReplyDeletePlaceholders for data?
ReplyDeleteThere's a reason this sort of form normally has text boxes.
I concur with the identification and diagnosis of Tony the Tiger.
So in the metric system 180cm(roughly 6 feet) is greater than 110kg(roughly 232lbs) is greater than 105(systolic blood pressure) is greater than pulse 84.
ReplyDeleteIn US system it is much harder. 71 inches in greater than 70lbs(very skinny) which is greater than 68(systolic blood pressure) which is greater than pulse 54. But honestly you're probably in hospice dying of advanced cancer if those are your vitals.
After my wife's cancer we spent almost 22 months (yes, months) trying get readable records from 5 different facilities involving about 20 People who treated her in some way. A huge portion of that time, and the bulk of the eventual $10,000 expense was in getting actual translations of scrawled notes. We had transcriptions that were not even non-English, much less actually understandable. At one point I had 7 transcriptions of the same surgical noted and each had significant differences.
ReplyDeleteI don't know if electronic health records are better than this. They could hardly be worse.
I'm a retired medical transcriptionist, retired because the client went to voice-recognition software. I just hope that works for them. While Dr. Grumpy uses it, he makes mention of checking his dictations over, which is how it's supposed to be done. Most hospitals, doctors' offices, etc. just saw medical transcription as overhead, but they're likely to find that we did a lot more than just type.
ReplyDeleteThe problem is that height and blood pressure are conjugate observables, such that you can measure one with arbitrary precision, but then you lose information about the other. ∆(height) x ∆(bp) ≥ h/4π, where ∆ is the uncertainty and h is Planck's constant.
ReplyDeleteI know bugs have to be worked out. I went to see my internist yesterday and she could not find tests I'd had, even the flu shot I had in her office a few months ago.
ReplyDeleteIf you have memory issues, that is scary. She was trying not to show it, but it was making the doctor unhappy, too.
This practice started electronic records a while ago. When the nurse or med tech took data, reviewed meds, there was a laptop in the room. That was fine, but when the nurse started coming into the exam room with the dratted laptop with the doctor, that is too much.
I know it is to save time and improve accuracy. I see one specialist who never looks at me, just the *&^% charting program. It makes me angry and wonder if he sees ME, the patient, not just a chart checklist. (Don't tell me to change practices, this one is the only one in town in this specialty)
But, having another person in the room during exams is disconcerting. I don't know how confidential what I say is with another person in the room. I can't concentrate on seeing my doctor.
I am hoping EMR "grows up" fast.
But, but, but President Obama saind this would make everything wonderful!
ReplyDeleteObamacare is great, all your private medical information is now available for anyone with computer access, nothing just your doctor. What could ever go wrong?
I used to work for a medical transcription company. I was in the IS department and was instrumental in creating a system that did not produce gibberish.
ReplyDeleteMedical transcription is hard enough, but when you add a plethora of MDs that can't be bothered to learn the English language, the whole thing turns into a fiasco. All that's missing are the Three Stooges in a pie fight.
Your transcriptionists miss you guys too! (We do.)
ReplyDelete