Government run health care

[Daisy and Delilah]

My primary care doc is at Loyola University Medical Center. Almost completely paperless office. What took me some getting used to is that she types her notes into the computer while we are talking. I'm looking at her and she's looking at the computer. But it's pretty cool - she can look up my lab results and write orders (time for your mammogram, Elyse; I'll put an order in now [click click click], and you can make your appointment with the scheduler when you check out) as we are talking. They can even e-mail prescriptions directly to Walgreens for me.

At the dermatologist's office - she had a little device in her hands that looked like a computer game. Bigger than a PDA, but not as large as a laptop computer, and she was using a little pencil-like thingy to touch her notes right onto the screen. Zero paper there too. I have a prescription that was printed off of their computer, so it is on plain paper instead of Rx pad. I hope Walgreens will be able to accept it - we'll see!

I wish they could talk to each other electronically and I could read all their notes. I doubt that will happen anytime soon, though. I just have to remember to tell my primary care doc what the dermatologist said next time I go. I earned that responsibility by deciding not to go to a derm at Loyola. If I had, it would all be in the computer already. Oh well.

With this age of cutting edge technology, Elyse, you would think communication would be easy. Can anyone understand how it is so hard for all of these people to be on the same page? Is there not a way to have a universal data base for all things medical for a particular social security number? If not a SS #, some other point of ID?

I have seen, in my experiecne with doctors, they are not really interested in what the other doctors say anyway. Can this ever be fixed properly? It's the million dollar question I guess.

[caseysmom]

Thats what I like about Kaiser, everything is on the computer and even I can see a lot of it and I can email any of my doctors.

My podiatrist has been wonderful, he even gave me his home number.

[blue]

The more training I get in computers, networks, and comp security the less I like my medical records being all computerized.

Ive seen people turn a user name into a IP address, and into a home address. Heck, if your user name is tied to a photo I can find it.

[TINFOILHAT]What else can I find from just a user name?[/TINFOILHAT]

[caseysmom]

I could care less if anyone saw my medical records.

[blue]

I could care less if anyone saw my medical records.

You would if you knew everything that was in you medical records, including all of your "private" information.

[caseysmom]

You would if you knew everything that was in you medical records, including all of your "private" information.

There are so many replies to that but I will behave

[Edwina's Secretary]

Thats what I like about Kaiser, everything is on the computer and even I can see a lot of it and I can email any of my doctors.

My podiatrist has been wonderful, he even gave me his home number.

We have been thinking of switching to Kaiser during open enrollment this year. I have heard such good things about them. I especially like the ability to email and check things on line.

Do they usually have onsite pharmacy or mail order?

Computerize records cannot be any less accurate or confidential that paper records.

[caseysmom]

We have been thinking of switching to Kaiser during open enrollment this year. I have heard such good things about them. I especially like the ability to email and check things on line.

Do they usually have onsite pharmacy or mail order?

Computerize records cannot be any less accurate or confidential that paper records.

I have never tried the mail order pharmacy, I have heard it can take a while.

It just depends on your doctor, I got a good doctor when I broke my foot. A few years ago when I had a pinched nerve in my neck the care wasn't as good.

I can email my doctor any type of concerns and he always answers me very promptly, that has been the case with all my doctors.