Several healthcare interactions this week have led me to question how healthcare views their patients.

My brother-in-law tore his rotator cuff. He and my sister went to the hospital for pre-surgical testing a few days before the surgery. They arrived early in order to fill out the numerous forms which required the same information over and over again:  name, date of birth, his history, what he was having done, etc.  They were assigned a room after an hour in the waiting room. After another half an hour a nurse said she would be right in.  Another half an hour later, the nurse came in, said she didn’t have time to read the paperwork, they would operate on the right shoulder and began listing other items.  Stop right there!!  No, it is his left shoulder.  From the nurse: “Were my sister and her husband sure?” Why are patients expected to provide information that doesn’t get read or verified?

I had an unexpected referral to the endodontist from my dentist.  Despite my dentist office calling and giving them all my information, when I arrived two days later there were six forms for me to fill out (thought there was an EHR in place).  All six asked for my name, address, date of birth, and today’s date.  While they asked general yes/no questions, there was no place for me to inform them of a specific health need.  Good thing I knew to tell them. If you went to any other store, bank, or other establishment wouldn’t you expect them to print out the forms with your known information on it?  As the customer, would you expect to do the work?   Are we using our electronic health records to the benefit of our patients or our caregivers? – Ann Marie Tyrell, Principal Consultant

______________________________________________________________

There's a saying: “under capitalism man exploits man, under socialism the reverse is true.” I am skeptical that a government-run insurance option can operate as efficiently as private insurers and I'm thinking this is going to cost me. However, I'm trying to stay optimistic. Maybe a government-run insurance option can stir-up the competition and make healthcare more accessible and affordable to more people- I guess it's worth a shot! - Jen Verdiani, Sales & Marketing Associate

______________________________________________________________

What do I think about healthcare? I think the US’ narcissistic view of healthcare (that ours is the best system in the world) needs to change. Sweden, for example, has great healthcare, but they pay higher taxes for it. If we actually saw the benefits of our taxes, I think people would have a more agreeable outlook about paying them. With healthcare coverage, whether private or public, there is inequality in what insurance or Medicare pays for in terms of women’s health vs. men’s health.  If you want to ban abortion coverage (Who in their right mind wants an abortion anyhow? It’s a desperate last resort), then I say, ban Viagra! Why should a woman have to spend multiple co-pays for repeated mammograms if the physician asks for a second or third reading or a follow-up ultra-sound?  Yes, co-pays are appropriate for the first visit but the follow-ups are part of the diagnostic order. Many women fail to do the follow-ups because they can’t afford the multiple co-pays and subsequently the total costs rise based upon the outcome. Spend money up front for wellness rather than deny it after the fact. Few politicians who make these decisions really understand the domino effect of their actions. Millions of dollars are wasted on Medicare fraud that could be put to good use on preventative care. Place the watchdogs where they need to be; read the research that is available. Place the dollars saved in preventative care, especially in the areas of education on diet and exercise to prevent diabetes rather than spending the dollars on all the post effects of diabetes.-Anna Lee Lapinski, Resource Manager