Re: Why Tech won't solve the health care problem.

[Guest guest]

how timely! i got a letter from an ortho on friday (after requesting it, it didn't come automatically of course) describing the patient's well healed knee incision, bracing, and range of motion of her knee. this was strange, as she had a hip replacement! oops, hit the wrong button on the template, i'm sure, but what info can i really believe now from this very prominent ortho!!! i won't get an emr until i can use it without looking like an idiot.

ec Crowley, MD307 Stone Harbor Blvd, Ste 2Cape May Courthouse, NJ 08210P: F:

Subject: Why Tech won't solve the health care problem.To: , IMPListserv Date: Monday, December 29, 2008, 10:46 AM

It saddens me to witness the continued infatuation with health information technology when so much basic and less expensive improvement is yet to be done.

Commonwealth Fund studies show other developed countries outperforming the US on quality and cost of care because their health systems are founded on effective primary care.

Effective primary care from the perspective of those receiving care:

“I can get care when I need it,”

“my personal doctor and nurse know me,”

“my primary office provides for most of my needs,”

and “they coordinate care when I need any outside their office.”

“Computers on the team” fails to correct longstanding policies of rewarding procedures instead of caring. While computers on the team may in some cases help actual people, the real improvement from this push to fund electronic records is likely to be the bottom line of companies with well heeled lobbyists.

Attached is a very nice short article that exposes this myth for what it is and does a good job identifying the source of the mistake (missing a key caveat in a 2005 RAND study that identified savings IF technology was adopted as part of other major changes to the health care delivery system).

Gordon