Having enjoyed a 50 year run as a family doc, I watched the evolution from an unpressured personal encounter with a patient where history and exam provided the core of knowing - the patient and the disease - to the advent of ever more cool and fantastically precise tests, technically identifying disease while pushing the patient into the corner of the room. This was accompanied by the transformation of healthcare into a profit making (or expense reduction) invoice generator which happened to provide medical services. The technological mirage fits right in, lubricating the system. Meanwhile, men, and now women in suits, get paid very well to invent innovative clinic management systems in an attempt to put "caring" back in medical care. Hogwash!
Meanwhile, large sectors of society go un- or under-served. Access for treatment of mundane illnesses becomes harder; often requiring too expensive and advanced work-ups; and even generations old common meds are ungodly overpriced.
Thanks, Jeoffry. Ya the money pouring in to healthcare seems so removed from what we do. It’s frustrating, really. I do think we’ve moved beyond history and physical alone but it remains a key piece of how we connect with our patients.
We are choosing to be delusional about questions that are not answerable. As long as we are addicted to believing we know everything or can know everything, we will remain ignorant of the medical realities that have no answers. Peggy Finston MD
Or at least that is the promise. the reality is of course the inverse.
Meanwhile, could the hospitalists and specialist please return my phone calls? I just want to let you know that our patient in the CCU with heart failure likely stopped her synthroid 6 months ago...
something as simple as talking to one another seems to be abandoned.
Having enjoyed a 50 year run as a family doc, I watched the evolution from an unpressured personal encounter with a patient where history and exam provided the core of knowing - the patient and the disease - to the advent of ever more cool and fantastically precise tests, technically identifying disease while pushing the patient into the corner of the room. This was accompanied by the transformation of healthcare into a profit making (or expense reduction) invoice generator which happened to provide medical services. The technological mirage fits right in, lubricating the system. Meanwhile, men, and now women in suits, get paid very well to invent innovative clinic management systems in an attempt to put "caring" back in medical care. Hogwash!
Meanwhile, large sectors of society go un- or under-served. Access for treatment of mundane illnesses becomes harder; often requiring too expensive and advanced work-ups; and even generations old common meds are ungodly overpriced.
Medical caring is loosing its soul.
Thanks, Jeoffry. Ya the money pouring in to healthcare seems so removed from what we do. It’s frustrating, really. I do think we’ve moved beyond history and physical alone but it remains a key piece of how we connect with our patients.
We are choosing to be delusional about questions that are not answerable. As long as we are addicted to believing we know everything or can know everything, we will remain ignorant of the medical realities that have no answers. Peggy Finston MD
True!
"Technosolutionism alleviates widespread anxiety "
Or at least that is the promise. the reality is of course the inverse.
Meanwhile, could the hospitalists and specialist please return my phone calls? I just want to let you know that our patient in the CCU with heart failure likely stopped her synthroid 6 months ago...
something as simple as talking to one another seems to be abandoned.
Healthcare is communication. And these tools just facilitate it. Or not. Thanks for taking the time to remark..
yes well 'or not " seems far more common. Do you disagree?
No, for sure.