CES - Lack of health care tech

[CaseyMiller]

While following the technology being introduced at the CES, I've seen next to no new tech for at home health care. Plenty of new high def televisions, tablets and smart phone stuff but not one story regarding improving health care.

In fact, I find it interesting that I can find/track just about anything on-line with ease except for my health care (e.g. records, med's, costs etc..). Yes, there is some on-line tracking but most seem to be manually updated and not connected to anything.

So where all these technological advances in HC that always seem so promising but never seem to materialize?

Sheesh! Whirlpool is coming out with a washer with cycles I can track on-line, why can't I have something like that for my blood pressure?

[SteveinMN]

In fact, I find it interesting that I can find/track just about anything on-line with ease except for my health care (e.g. records, med's, costs etc..). Yes, there is some on-line tracking but most seem to be manually updated and not connected to anything.
Casey, I don't know if you pay for your own health care. But we have an employer-sponsored plan (like many people) and my experience is that the back office is an absolute morass. There's the itemized bill from the provider (and their myriad subcontractors, like lab work or anesthesia or the like). There's what each insurer will pay for a particular diagnosis or treatment or network, which results in a pile of co-pays, insurance coverage and/or application to deductibles, and ersatz "discounts". There's the time lapse between the date(s) of service and date(s) of billing and when the bills are submitted to insurance and then approved/denied/reimbursed/paid. Then there are the incompatible records systems used by health care providers across the country. And those which aren't digital at all yet. And security issues attached to allowing external access to data (that is, your access) which make it difficult. As well as who pays for all of this conversion and interchangeability. Those who pay for their own care avoid some of the "interesting" accounting. But not enough.

There already are blood-glucose meters which will keep a chartable history of readings, either on the device or a computer (or maybe smartphone). Maybe blood-pressure monitors, too. Medical records systems are getting better, especially now that EKGs and X-rays can exist digitally. But it's still a largely-incompatible mess.

I'm not holding my breath for improvements anytime soon.

[bae]

HIPAA also makes access to records a royal pain. My doctor ran a test for me the other day. He had a PDF of the results. He couldn't email them to me. He could physically mail me a copy. He could hand me a copy. He could hand me a copy on a USB key. Even though our computers were right next to each other, our government in its efforts to protect me forbid mutually-agreeable data exchange.

[redfox]

My HMO has incredible online access. I can email my PCP, or any practitioner I have seen, with a concern & get a reply within 24 hours, rather than make an office visit, and for free. All test results are posted in my private access profile; I am notified by email when they post. I can track all my health care records, including post visit summaries, tests, & pharmacy back 8 years.

I schedule & cancel all appointments online, and with my PCP, can select a date & time immediately based upon her calendar. For specialists, I submit my appoinment requests, selecting the date range & 4 different time slots during each day that I prefer, & it's a 24 hour turnaround for a reply.

For instance, a rather serious symptom occurred late last night. After some fast online research, I went to sleep (worried) and first thing this morning, I emailed my specialist provider for an appointment for tomorrow or Tuesday. I'll be contacted tomorrow. THAT makes me feel much better about the symptom.

It is possible to have these systems in place. I have private pay coverage now, but have been with this HMO for years under various employer plans too. I really like this HMO!

[CaseyMiller]

My HMO has incredible online access. I can email my PCP, or any practitioner I have seen, with a concern & get a reply within 24 hours, rather than make an office visit, and for free. All test results are posted in my private access profile; I am notified by email when they post. I can track all my health care records, including post visit summaries, tests, & pharmacy back 8 years.

I schedule & cancel all appointments online, and with my PCP, can select a date & time immediately based upon her calendar. For specialists, I submit my appoinment requests, selecting the date range & 4 different time slots during each day that I prefer, & it's a 24 hour turnaround for a reply.

That's exactly where the entire medical field should be right now!

It drives me nuts when I see my doctor flipping thru hard paper copies of results or written visit results. Faxed documents?! WTF? For the cost and importance of HC this is nuts.

I can go on-line and see a history of my purchases at Lowes, but to see my history of BP tests at my doctor, I would need to make a personal visit and have them pull up hard copy documents. It's crazy!

[freein05]

Our medical provider has a really good computer based data network. If you see one of the many doctors affiliated with the local hospital your records are available immediately to any of the doctors in the network.

I had to go to an urgent care facility in another town on the weekend because I feel off of a ladder. I then went to see my family doctor a week latter and my chart had already been updated with the report from the ER doctor. My doctor is in the same hospital network that handles the patient data.

This type of medical record sharing is a big time saver. It can also help to prevent medical errors. All of the medications you take and allergies you have are in the data base. Before the doctors prescribe a new medication they run it through their lab top to see if there are any problems it could cause with the current meds you are taking.

The local hospital really has it's act together. It is a 7th day Adventist affiliated hospital. They seem to really have patient care as a top priority.