Re: Make Your Voice Heard!

[Guest guest]

Hi Dana,

I am as much in favor of privacy, as you are. But please let me tell

you about the experience that I recently went through with my 92 year

old father, who passed away on October 11,2008. For the last two years

of his life, his routine consisted of almost weekly doctor visits and

diagnostic test appointments, interspersed by hospital stays every 2 or

3 months. At each hospital admission, I had to provide his " medical

history " to the triage nurse, and again to the E.R. doctor, and again

to the floor nurse, and again to the medical student that is assigned

by the resident to do a medical history interview, and again to the

resident, and again to the attending physician, if he or she was not

one of my father's private doctors. I always made sure that a written

medical history and all of his recent outpatient diagnostic test

results were put into his file at the nursing station on his floor.

What I learned, during those two years of mental and emotional anguish,

was, that no matter how careful and thorough and totally anal I was in

making sure that anyone wearing a white coat was completely informed

about my father's medical history, before they touched my father, the

medical staff of ALL the hospitals, constantly, completely and

thoroughly ignored and overlooked ALL the medical history that I

provided. What was happening, was that they were ALL so used to NOT

having any reliable medical histoy from 99% of their patients, that

they had developed the habit of not even looking for, or looking at, or

listening to, any medical history. They would ask questions that were

answered by the medical history and outpatient tests that I had placed

in my father's patient file, at the nursing station. THEY NEVER LOOKED

THROUGH THE PATIENT'S FILE. When they opened that file, they only

looked for the results of the tests and procedures that THEY HAD

ORDERED, and they ignored everything else in the file, as being

IRRELEVANT. They did not want to " waste their time reading " . They

wanted to spend their time ONLY doing those things that had a " medical

code number " attached to them, so that every minute of their time could

be billed to the insurance company or medicare. So, we must be

realistic about medical records. With universal electronic medical

records, the doctor's incentive to READ those records, would be the

sure and certain knowledge that any of his " billable " actions that are

contraindicated by something in the patient's electronic medical

record, would result in his ass being sued, and possibly losing his

medical license. Doctors, like the rest of us, are motivated by only

two things: GREED AND FEAR. It would be helpful to me, and you, when WE

are in that hospital bed, that our doctor be motivated a little less by

GREED, and be motivated a little more, by FEAR. Electronic medical

records SAVE LIVES.

Joe

....................................................

--- In , Dana Toliver <gsgrl2000@...>

wrote:

>

> I just took action on the Economic Stimulus Bill Mandating Electronic

Health Records for Every Citizen, which puts the doctor-patient

confidentiality relationship in jeopardy. I urge you to take action

yourself and spread the word!

> To take action on this issue, click on the link below:

> https://secure3.convio.net/aahf/site/Advocacy?s_oo=maC9eADGbyASp-

Tm4emonA.. & amp;id=299

> If the text above does not appear as a link or it wraps across

multiple lines, then copy and paste it into the address area of your

browser.

>

[Guest guest]

I took care of my great aunt and I know what you mean but I doubt it

will make them more motivated. In a nursing home the records are

clipped to door. They didn't look anyway, paper, computer, etc.

Problem is that doctors make so many errors, that we would just have so

much garbage on the records. If they just had test results, like blood

test results, mri's, etc. But if they have diagnosis, or worse yet

doctor's NOTES...holey cow...look out for everything to get worse for

you. Your diagnosis will be soooo messed up, treating you for things

you don't have.

Also I heard people have put their ssn and birth date in computer and

already pull up all kinds of private medical information, already.

>

> Hi Dana,

> I am as much in favor of privacy, as you are.

[Guest guest]

I understand your position and have been through similar situations

with my own medical history however computer history of medical

records won't be any better because human error will still occur in

inputting information into the computer and once something is

inputted into any computer wrong it's much harder to fix the error.

Plus anyone will be able to access your medical records; we all know

that once things hit cyberspace it's for any hacker to get.

All I'm saying is computerizing everything won't make the situation

any better. Plus of course it's the privacy issue... just think about

it before you make any conclusions about this electronic medical

system they want to implement for everyone. Do you not believe the

government will be " monitoring " all records just like they will be

doing with every other aspect of our lives?

>

> Hi Dana,

> I am as much in favor of privacy, as you are. But please let me

tell

> you about the experience that I recently went through with my 92

year

> old father,

[Guest guest]

Paper records and you are more in control. Computer records and it's

out of your control. I think finding a main internist who knows you

well and any specialists communicating is best. It's worth it to keep

looking and looking and looking to find a doctor who cares about what

he is doing. Usually referrals from a good doctor are good referrals.

>

> I understand your position and have been through similar situations

> with my own medical history however computer

[Guest guest]

All of your concerns are valid, but electronic computerized medical

records provide us with " THE HOLY GRAIL " that ALL OF US on this board

wish that we could have in our lives, NOW, with our current problems.

With PERMANENT, UNERASABLE, electronic computerized records, we can

do something that we can never do with " magically disappearing " paper

records. WE CAN SUE,SUE,SUE,SUE,SUE THE BAS....., when they screw up.

Joe

.....................................

>

> Paper records and you are more in control. Computer records and

it's

> out of your control. I think finding a main internist who knows

you

> well and any specialists communicating is best. It's worth it to

keep

> looking and looking and looking to find a doctor who cares about

what

> he is doing. Usually referrals from a good doctor are good

referrals.

>

> --- In , " gsgrl2000 " <gsgrl2000@>

wrote:

> >

> > I understand your position and have been through similar

situations

> > with my own medical history however computer

>

[Guest guest]

This is such a common problem that it needs to be stated once in a while. If you

have a long link that will be broken, just put a < in front of it and a > after

it: <Long-URL-String.whatever> That will always be clickable without having to

cut and paste.

I hope this helps,

Francie

<http://www.LDN-for-MS.com>

>

> I just took action on an issue that I consider very important. I urge you to

take action yourself and spread the word!

>

>

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>

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