Comments on: Seeking the cure for health care

CEO advocate Bruce Mehlman warns that the national health care system is being undercut by an out-of-date information infrastructure.

Hear! Hear! Listen up people!

Hear!Hear! Listen up people! Healthcare IS a matter of life, disability or death! Too many questions from too many people! Even THEY say the paper system is outdated; frustrating for provider & patient; & usurps valuable time which could be better used. STOP complaining & support ALL efforts to improve the Healthcare System! If you haven't had a encounter w/providers and/or insurance...you will!

[lazura]

The Problem

Many articles on this problem, all with the same conclusion. The reason that healthcare is so behind in modernizing their infrastructure is the 'Doctor is God' syndrome. Most doctor's absolutely refuse to give up control of information or be measured by real statistics. Until this 'hidden' information is available to the public, healthcare will always be behind in technology. Also, I would like to see Congress start 'brow-beating' doctors to get them to move into the current century in terms of information flows.

Dude, way off

Andy,

My wife is a doctor (and certainly not God) and I can tell you that you are completely off-base.

Doctor's have no clue about software and they are being taken for a ride by computer "consultants". All other industries have learned the danger of consultants and the need to do due diligence by the ERP debacles of the past. Healthcare just hasn't gone through this yet.

The big problem is one of capitalism. Capitalism is fine for companies that want to have competitive advantage. Amazon does not necessarily work well with Best Buy, because of competition, they probably don't integrate.

Well, with Healthcare, we want complete and cheap integration so that a 5 doctor practice plays well with a 5,000 doctor practice. For that, you need universal standards, like Open Vista.

Congress should get involved, but not to browbeat doctors but rather to browbeat medical software companies, or give it out for free.

Plus, a doctor who gives away "hidden" information, gets sued instantly. Doctors are dammed if they do, and damned if they don't. It's a crappy job and I'm so glad I don't do it.

[ebrandel]

Beware the messenger

This all sounds wonderful, but we must remember who in fact wrote this article:

"Bruce Mehlman is executive director of the Computer Systems Policy Project, an advocacy group in Washington, D.C., that represents chief executives of IT companies."

He's on the payroll of the companies that have the most to gain.

Hello??!?!?!?

Man, has THIS corporate shill got it figured out.

Sorry, insurance companies practices of inhibiting care and limiting doctors' quotas, and just plain obscene profits, are the problem. Just exactly where are your medical records going that makes improving their transfer rate so darned important?

Think about it: Just exactly where ARE your medical records going that makes improving their transfer rate so darned important?

Not the Paper, the # of Insurers

It isn't paper that's costing us money. It is the number of different insurers and plans. I worked on software for medical billing. The number of different insurance plans, the number of insurers, and then taking into account the combinations of primar/secondary insurance, etc. is enormous. There are literally thousands and thousands of combinations available, and supporting them costs lots of money and time.

[alek_nedic]

enormous money and time

http://www.analogstereo.com/vacuum/miele_champagne.htm

Author is Lobbyist, brother of GOP chairman -- not technical expert!

This article omits a crucial detail: the author is a big-time
lobbyist. He's Ken Mehlman's brother -- the head of the
Republican Party. The siblings have engaged in politics for quite
some time. A non-partisan publication lists Bruce Mehlman as a
"Top Lobbyist" -- http://www.hillnews.com/thehill/export/
TheHill/Business/042705_topguns.html . He was personally
responsible for getting the Lenovo deal with IBM signed and
away (not that I think it was a bad deal -- just to show the kind
of power he has): http://www.talkingpointsmemo.com/archives/
004898.php .

My point: read this skeptically, as you should read most things.
Mehlman intentionally omitted his deep inside-the-Beltway
lobbyist dealings and connections, and you should know about
them.

One more thing

I'm not saying I necessarily disagree (or agree) with the content of
the article -- just that it's a bit odd that his deep backroom-politics
connections aren't on display here.

He may have a good point in this article, but I think it's misleading
when people leave out critical biographical information that could
show a conflict of interest.

[Amythefinanceadvisor]

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