Re: - aarrgghh!!

[Guest guest]

This business of each doctor not getting the correct paperwork in a timely fashion etc. makes me appreciate the University of Michigan's system. Every one of my docs have a laptop with him or her in the exam room and with it all the test results, all the notes from all of them and everything that is current. It is great.

After watching the PBS program on Thurs. night about What Is Wrong in America's Health System, I now know this is not standard practice in all hospitals and systems. It seems like patients need to voice their concern about out-dated systems and choose hospitals and transplant programs that do everything to protect us, including using computer systems.

What are your hospitals and doctors doing?

Take Care

MizKit

[Guest guest]

This business of each doctor not getting the correct paperwork in a timely fashion etc. makes me appreciate the University of Michigan's system. Every one of my docs have a laptop with him or her in the exam room and with it all the test results, all the notes from all of them and everything that is current. It is great.

After watching the PBS program on Thurs. night about What Is Wrong in America's Health System, I now know this is not standard practice in all hospitals and systems. It seems like patients need to voice their concern about out-dated systems and choose hospitals and transplant programs that do everything to protect us, including using computer systems.

What are your hospitals and doctors doing?

Take Care

MizKit

[Guest guest]

This business of each doctor not getting the correct paperwork in a timely fashion etc. makes me appreciate the University of Michigan's system. Every one of my docs have a laptop with him or her in the exam room and with it all the test results, all the notes from all of them and everything that is current. It is great.

After watching the PBS program on Thurs. night about What Is Wrong in America's Health System, I now know this is not standard practice in all hospitals and systems. It seems like patients need to voice their concern about out-dated systems and choose hospitals and transplant programs that do everything to protect us, including using computer systems.

What are your hospitals and doctors doing?

Take Care

MizKit

[Guest guest]

-----Original Message----- What are your hospitals and doctors doing?

We live about as rural as you can get. Ken’s PCP 1999 – 2005 had a

computer in every patient room in his office and he was a complete dork! His new family doctor is 1 of 8 in an

office that’s run as modern and efficient as any. They even have lab, X-ray and CT in

office. I had thumb surgery in May

at a hospital so small that most of you would have driven right passed it. Having computers and ultra modern

equipment isn’t near as important as the person entering that data and

making the decisions.

IMHO a show that’s titled “what’s wrong’

is probably going to by-pass almost everything that is right and good, after

all they are trying to make their point.

Like everything there are good and bad people, good & bad hospitals.

But there is so very much more that’s

good in medicine. Look at the

number of people in this group who are alive because of our health care system

and doctors.

If someone isn’t getting the care they want, it isn’t

medicines fault – it’s theirs for not seeking and finding better

health care provided by someone they think is doing right by them.

Just my 2 cents,

Barb in Texas

_,_._,___

[Guest guest]

-----Original Message----- What are your hospitals and doctors doing?

We live about as rural as you can get. Ken’s PCP 1999 – 2005 had a

computer in every patient room in his office and he was a complete dork! His new family doctor is 1 of 8 in an

office that’s run as modern and efficient as any. They even have lab, X-ray and CT in

office. I had thumb surgery in May

at a hospital so small that most of you would have driven right passed it. Having computers and ultra modern

equipment isn’t near as important as the person entering that data and

making the decisions.

IMHO a show that’s titled “what’s wrong’

is probably going to by-pass almost everything that is right and good, after

all they are trying to make their point.

Like everything there are good and bad people, good & bad hospitals.

But there is so very much more that’s

good in medicine. Look at the

number of people in this group who are alive because of our health care system

and doctors.

If someone isn’t getting the care they want, it isn’t

medicines fault – it’s theirs for not seeking and finding better

health care provided by someone they think is doing right by them.

Just my 2 cents,

Barb in Texas

_,_._,___

[Guest guest]

Barb Henshaw wrote:

>

> ..... Having computers and ultra modern equipment

> isn’t near as important as the person entering that data and making the

> decisions.

>

>

AMEN!!! My hubby is computer man for his office (and our entire church

denomination), and he always says " garbage in ... garbage out! " One of

the biggest problems with computers -- and this would certainly apply to

the medical world as well -- is what he calls " insufficient user IQ. "

We're in a fairly large metropolitan area and I've seen only one dr. (my

nephrologist) who has a laptop with him, entering everything as he's

talking to us. But, by and large, this method is unheard of around here.

Regards,

Carolyn B. in SC

[Guest guest]

MizKit wrote:

>

> This business of each doctor not getting the correct paperwork in a

> timely fashion etc. makes me appreciate the University of Michigan's

> system.

This is precisely why I now carry a large notebook with all my labwork

and other test reports in it. That big green notebook has been such a

lifesaver for us! I started using this system about a year ago, at the

suggestion of someone in this group (can't remember who, but THANK YOU!!!!)

We continually hit stuff like " well, we don't have the test results from

Dr. ABC, so you need to come back in 2-3 weeks and hopefully we'll have

it by then. " Now I simply flip my notebook open, whip out a copy of

what's needed and we can proceed smoothly with whatever is next.

Also, sometimes a dr. will say, " I wish we had a baseline on this, that,

or the other. " Again, I whip out exactly what he wants. My drs. have

been mightily impressed by this notebook and it has saved much

unnecessary waiting, fuming, and stress. Now, my drs. are beginning to

ask me, " Do you by chance have a recent this or that test? " It's been a

real winner for everyone concerned and I recommend it VERY highly indeed

to all our newer members.

Regards,

Carolyn B. in SC

[Guest guest]

MizKit wrote:

>

> This business of each doctor not getting the correct paperwork in a

> timely fashion etc. makes me appreciate the University of Michigan's

> system.

This is precisely why I now carry a large notebook with all my labwork

and other test reports in it. That big green notebook has been such a

lifesaver for us! I started using this system about a year ago, at the

suggestion of someone in this group (can't remember who, but THANK YOU!!!!)

We continually hit stuff like " well, we don't have the test results from

Dr. ABC, so you need to come back in 2-3 weeks and hopefully we'll have

it by then. " Now I simply flip my notebook open, whip out a copy of

what's needed and we can proceed smoothly with whatever is next.

Also, sometimes a dr. will say, " I wish we had a baseline on this, that,

or the other. " Again, I whip out exactly what he wants. My drs. have

been mightily impressed by this notebook and it has saved much

unnecessary waiting, fuming, and stress. Now, my drs. are beginning to

ask me, " Do you by chance have a recent this or that test? " It's been a

real winner for everyone concerned and I recommend it VERY highly indeed

to all our newer members.

Regards,

Carolyn B. in SC

[Guest guest]

MizKit wrote:

>

> This business of each doctor not getting the correct paperwork in a

> timely fashion etc. makes me appreciate the University of Michigan's

> system.

This is precisely why I now carry a large notebook with all my labwork

and other test reports in it. That big green notebook has been such a

lifesaver for us! I started using this system about a year ago, at the

suggestion of someone in this group (can't remember who, but THANK YOU!!!!)

We continually hit stuff like " well, we don't have the test results from

Dr. ABC, so you need to come back in 2-3 weeks and hopefully we'll have

it by then. " Now I simply flip my notebook open, whip out a copy of

what's needed and we can proceed smoothly with whatever is next.

Also, sometimes a dr. will say, " I wish we had a baseline on this, that,

or the other. " Again, I whip out exactly what he wants. My drs. have

been mightily impressed by this notebook and it has saved much

unnecessary waiting, fuming, and stress. Now, my drs. are beginning to

ask me, " Do you by chance have a recent this or that test? " It's been a

real winner for everyone concerned and I recommend it VERY highly indeed

to all our newer members.

Regards,

Carolyn B. in SC

[Guest guest]

Thanks. I Just had to vent...

When I used to live in Boston, my primary and GI were affiliated with the same

hospital and

all had access to the same computer system and everything was on file. Now that

I'm 3

hours away from it, I've noticed the staff in Boston depend so much on the

computer they

sometimes deny I have a file (containing all those papers faxed, mailed or

delivered, that I

eventually manage to extract from reluctant support staff at the local doc's

office).

On the other hand, when I had a fever following my colonoscopy, I waited 10 min

in the

local hospital's ER waiting room before being given a bed, saw a nurse in 15,

and the

doctor within 30 min. I got a nice room, quiet, helpful staff, lots of

antibiotics, and full

cable TV access. (In Boston, where my daughter was born, we had to pay for TV).

Unfortunately, this local hospital is bleeding cash, but we hope to keep it

going or we will

have to drive 30 min to the nearest.

I've heard of Americans going to New Delhi for elective surgery recently. About

20 years

ago, a traveling companion of mine had surgery in Kathmandu, Nepal. Clean

private

hospital, looked like equipment from the 50's. He had a lump removed from under

a chest

muscle. The doc came out with the lump of tissue, on a piece of gauze, showed it

to me

and put it in a jar. He gave me the address of the lab for the histology (it was

upstairs

from a clothing shop, across town). You don't get your painkillers and

antibiotics until you

pay your bill ($100, cheap to us, a year's earnings to a Nepalese farmer). It

turned out to

be a benign neurofibroma (just one, he doesn't have the Elephant man's disease,

and that

was that- took it home to England and NHS confirmed the diagnosis. Still, I

think I prefer

my local hospital!

Martha (MA)

> > This business of each doctor not getting the correct paperwork in a

> > timely fashion etc. makes me appreciate the University of Michigan's

> > system.

[Guest guest]

Thanks. I Just had to vent...

When I used to live in Boston, my primary and GI were affiliated with the same

hospital and

all had access to the same computer system and everything was on file. Now that

I'm 3

hours away from it, I've noticed the staff in Boston depend so much on the

computer they

sometimes deny I have a file (containing all those papers faxed, mailed or

delivered, that I

eventually manage to extract from reluctant support staff at the local doc's

office).

On the other hand, when I had a fever following my colonoscopy, I waited 10 min

in the

local hospital's ER waiting room before being given a bed, saw a nurse in 15,

and the

doctor within 30 min. I got a nice room, quiet, helpful staff, lots of

antibiotics, and full

cable TV access. (In Boston, where my daughter was born, we had to pay for TV).

Unfortunately, this local hospital is bleeding cash, but we hope to keep it

going or we will

have to drive 30 min to the nearest.

I've heard of Americans going to New Delhi for elective surgery recently. About

20 years

ago, a traveling companion of mine had surgery in Kathmandu, Nepal. Clean

private

hospital, looked like equipment from the 50's. He had a lump removed from under

a chest

muscle. The doc came out with the lump of tissue, on a piece of gauze, showed it

to me

and put it in a jar. He gave me the address of the lab for the histology (it was

upstairs

from a clothing shop, across town). You don't get your painkillers and

antibiotics until you

pay your bill ($100, cheap to us, a year's earnings to a Nepalese farmer). It

turned out to

be a benign neurofibroma (just one, he doesn't have the Elephant man's disease,

and that

was that- took it home to England and NHS confirmed the diagnosis. Still, I

think I prefer

my local hospital!

Martha (MA)

> > This business of each doctor not getting the correct paperwork in a

> > timely fashion etc. makes me appreciate the University of Michigan's

> > system.