Slashdot Mirror
IT and Health Care
Punk CPA writes "Technology Review has some thoughts about why the health care industry has been so slow to adopt IT, while quick to embrace high technology in care and diagnosis. Hypothesis: making medical records available for data analysis might expose redundancy, over-testing, and other methods of extracting profits from the fee-for-service model. My take is that it might also make it much easier to gather and evaluate quality of care information. That would be chum in the water for malpractice suits."
I agree. I think there is a lot of fear and apprehension of putting data "on the record", particularly in a litigious society. It is as likely to work against you as in your favor. If on the one hand that information limits privacy or insurance policy coverage for patients, it may also be implemented in exposing incompetence, neglect, and greed. Its a double edged sword, since in truth, people behave like there is an angle on one shoulder and a devil on the other. We only want to reveal the good stuff, so the diploma is on the wall, and the malpractice settlement remains undisclosed. Information Technology won't do a thing to change human nature, but it sure as heck will make our medical process more efficient. Lets move forward then, in spite of the perceived cultural drawbacks and fears.