Posted on 03/27/2019 4:13:17 PM PDT by Twotone
Driving while texting is so dangerous that it’s outlawed. But doctors and nurses are expected to care for patients while keeping their eyes glued to a computer screen, following prompts and clicking boxes. Some electronic health record systems require 62 clicks just to order Tylenol, and a full ER shift involves 4,000 clicks. No wonder mistakes are rampant.
Last week, Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Scott Gottlieb pointed to “risk for patients” from badly designed electronic health records systems. Babies killed by overdoses when medication orders were entered incorrectly, patients whose cancers weren’t diagnosed because their scans were routed to the wrong file, and even an emergency room patient who died while caregivers struggled to access his information.
Going digital was a good idea but Washington, D.C. hubris turned it into a costly mess. President-elect Barack Obama, the healthcare transformer, announced in 2009 that he’d make sure “all of America’s medical records are computerized” within five years. Only a handful of hospitals and 17% of doctors’ offices used them.
Government force was employed to make the change happen with lightning speed. The Obama administration’s 2009 stimulus bill slapped hefty financial penalties on doctors and hospitals that didn’t comply by 2016.
“It’s not that we’re a bunch of Luddites who don’t know how to use technology,” said one emergency room physician sued for making a computer error.
(Excerpt) Read more at spectator.org ...
“Alexis, pull out that gall bladder!”
Doctors told them this was a mistake. I know. I’m one.
EMR is the epitomy of crony capitalism.
Is Alexis the husband of Alexa? I didn’t know they got hitched.
Our clinic automated 10 to 15 years ago (my doctor actually led the program, too). It’s a very good system and keeps getting better. So far it hasn’t killed me and I don’t think it’s trying to, but maybe I better check those prescriptions more closely. Don’t want to be a vic of Doctor Gower.
EPIC is one such software suite.
Build a system even a fool can use, and only a fool will use it.
The problem is that all three orders are still in the system. I will have to expend additional time and energy to insure that I will be having the proper procedure.
Some of the problem is that the support staff are not authorized to make changes without proper medical authorization and they won't accept the responsibility of pointing out the problem to the medical people. They insist that it is my job to do that.
Statistically, the average person has a much greater chance of dying by doctor, than dying by gun.
Yeah. they suck. Designed as billing platforms to squeeze every penny and ignored the clinicians.
Medical computers are already killing and neurologically maiming people. Computerized bypass pumps and respirators used during open heart surgery are not foolproof. Someone is supposed to be watching but.... Some are never quite the same after “successful” surgery. Boeing is not the only company with serious software problems.
Hey, I’m shooting from the hip!
I’m sorry Dave, I can not let you operate.
My records have contained many, many errors. Most of them are because they aren’t actually listening to you when you speak. I’ve had to correct the same medicine error no less than 5 times while meds that give me problems fail to get entered. It’s just crazy.
I remember a few years ago a hospital in Georgia cooked a patient when the tech punched the wrong numbers into a radiation treatment machine.
For my recent surgery, the surgeon was going to utilize robotics but in the minutes during which I was being prepped decided against it. While lying there in the pre-op bed I had imagery of Logan’s Run running through my head—where the identity-changing computer was directed to go nuts and fire lasers all over Logan.
Yeeeshh, sometimes being a science fiction buff since childhood will come back to bite ya at the most ‘convenient’ moments...
I know it likely saved a ton of cash on the surgery itself, and felt a lot safer knowing the surgeon would not be using the robotic method. It was major surgery, but if they can find a loophole to make it squeeze into the same-day category, they’ll do it—especially if you are Medicare with no gap plan. Can’t afford it but the Lord can make a way where there is no way.
I was discharged despite having some interesting complications and having requested at the least a 24-hour observation. It was for the best.
I got one of the earlier robotic surgeries (in the U.S.) years ago and was very pleased with the outcome (accuracy and minimal pain).
So many errors in your post.
Not all robotics are computer controlled.
No decent surgeon is going to change techniques minutes before major surgery.
Major surgery and discharged the same day?
This surgeon did, and I’m glad of it; I believe it was God’s hand preventing a serious incident. No, not all robotics are fully computer control / autonomous, most are there to assist in the surgery.
Using the robotic-assist method may have caused Medicare to allow an overnight observation, which they weren’t willing to do if they absolutely didn’t have to. It’s all good, I’m healing up, glad to be home, Jesus is Lord over All Creation.
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