This analysis in Health Affairs shows that EHR adoption initially results in higher patient mortality but in the long run lowers mortality. Having gone through the transition from paper to digital, it’s easy to imagine. Initially you think, ‘how do I do this?’ Then you say, ‘how did we do it with paper?’ There’s a period of adaptation that happens with new ... Continue Reading about The Health Technology Outcomes Gap
Within Normal Limits
If you poke around old medical records you’ll find WNL written in parts of the physical exam. Neurological: WNL. It means within normal limits. It’s the pen and ink dotphrase used through most of paper record history by physicians to indicate that the organ or system under exam was unremarkable. One of medicine’s most versatile and open-ended acronyms, within ... Continue Reading about Within Normal Limits
Is Telemedicine Really a Bust?
This from Chrissy Farr at CNBC today, Why telemedicine has been such a bust so far. Billions of investment dollars have been poured into apps and websites that offer this virtual consultations with physicians, ranging from Doctor on Demand to American Well. The theory behind them is that millennials would opt for a digital alternative to an in-person physician's ... Continue Reading about Is Telemedicine Really a Bust?
To Be a Machine – Transhumanism as a Lens on the Modern Condition
Spend enough time in the tech infosphere and you’ll find that there’s no shortage of confidence in the ability of technology to make us better as humans. In fact, technology advances coupled with this confidence has spawned the transhumanism movement. This is... ...a movement predicated on the conviction that we can and should use technology to control the future ... Continue Reading about To Be a Machine – Transhumanism as a Lens on the Modern Condition
Doctrepreneurs and the Silicon Valley Brain Drain
CNBC technology reporter Chrissy Farr raised a question about doctrepreneurs on Twitter this week: What are your thoughts on the trend of high-quality doctors leaving medicine to join start-ups/become "doctrepreneurs"? Anecdotally, it seems to be driven by push factors (medicine isn't what I expected) and pull (start-ups are sexy). According to Farr’s own 2015 KQED ... Continue Reading about Doctrepreneurs and the Silicon Valley Brain Drain
Caretech as the new Digital Health
When it comes to health and technology, language matters. Chrissy Farr of CNBC during WWDC: ”Quick note that it’s 2 hours in and Apple has not used the term “digital health.” Perhaps only an internal thing?” I suggested that maybe ‘digital health’ is now just health again. Wendy Sue Swanson countered with the idea that the digital health designation is key in ... Continue Reading about Caretech as the new Digital Health