The doctor will see you now… in Second LifeTM. Is this a phrase we will be hearing in the near future? No more traveling to offices, checking in, waiting to be called, and hoping the doctor is running on schedule. I am going to explore the possibilities of the use of Second LifeTM in doctor-patient relationships. Second LifeTM is a virtual world where people can create avatars, or alternate virtual lives, to represent themselves in this online world. The question I’m asking myself is: is this just a game for fun, or can it be productive for real life? And can Second LifeTM be pertinent or relevant to doctor-patient relationships?
Second LifeTM is already being used to gather people for things such as education, seminars, and work. It certainly is amusing, and does have a uniquely interactive quality. In regard to a meeting or presentation, this is certainly efficient because all a person needs to attend is a computer and the internet. He/she can physically be anywhere in real life. These days everyone seems to be so busy. Coordinating schedules can be difficult, not to mention worrying about travel time and traffic.
Although I believe Second LifeTM is efficient in many ways, I don’t believe in the doctor-patient relationship. What about the saying that patients lie to their doctors? Without the whole story, a physician cannot accurately diagnose a patient. A doctor cannot physically see his patient. The doctor communicates with a patient’s avatar. This doesn’t strike me as efficient or effective. Not relevant to this particular relationship. A physician cannot accurately communicate with a patient in a virtual world. If a patient just has a question for a physician and does not need an actual visit, a simple e-mail can do the trick. Now if a physician wants a patient to attend a seminar that is being given on Second LifeTM to learn about his/her diagnoses, then that’s another story. The amount of information that has potential to be spread using this site is pretty amazing.
Sunday, October 31, 2010
Sunday, October 17, 2010
Technology Makes Prescriptions Safer
I was searching The Wall Street Journal online and came across an article, “Digital Records Spot Side Effects,” by Jonathan Rockoff on October 15, 2010 (http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703631704575552443826670572.html). It looked like an article very relevant to this informatics course, so I started reading.
This article was taking a look at the advantages of electronic records related to prescription medications. Pfizer Inc. sponsored a study performed at Massachusetts General and Brigham & Women's hospitals in Boston that delved into the system used to prescribe medications and report incident or adverse reactions. This study indicates that physicians are more likely to report issues when using electronic tools. This study was published last week in the medical journal Pharmacoepidemiology and Drug Safety. It was conducted over a five month period in 2008-2009. The study stated that between those two hospitals, 217 side effects were reported, compared to none the prior year. Although that would be ideal, I doubt it’s possible.
With the system the physicians were using, when a medication was discontinued for a patient, the physician would have to state why, and if the side effect was serious. This would generate an alert in the system. Approximately one in five of these adverse effects were considered serious, according to the physicians. Dr. Jeffrey Linder, an internist who led this study, is now working to expand this technology.
This article goes on to explain that there have been other studies done indicating that physician’s do not report side effects to the FDA. The article says “just a tiny fraction of doctors submit the voluntary reports.” With a system like this, with ease and efficiency, it is much more likely for a physician to report side effects. This would help the FDA with its regulations, determine and identify more problems.
The more information, the better. With accurate reporting of side effects, drug companies will be able to conduct more studies with their drugs in different types of people, and the FDA can keep a closer eye on prescription medications. Obviously the patients are safer with a system like this. Drug interactions can be caught immediately, and side effects can be managed. With all the different possible variables, medicine is not an exact science. It evolves daily. The more tools that become available and the more advanced the technology becomes, a physician is freer to focus on his/her job of caring for the patient and being confident with decisions.
This article was taking a look at the advantages of electronic records related to prescription medications. Pfizer Inc. sponsored a study performed at Massachusetts General and Brigham & Women's hospitals in Boston that delved into the system used to prescribe medications and report incident or adverse reactions. This study indicates that physicians are more likely to report issues when using electronic tools. This study was published last week in the medical journal Pharmacoepidemiology and Drug Safety. It was conducted over a five month period in 2008-2009. The study stated that between those two hospitals, 217 side effects were reported, compared to none the prior year. Although that would be ideal, I doubt it’s possible.
With the system the physicians were using, when a medication was discontinued for a patient, the physician would have to state why, and if the side effect was serious. This would generate an alert in the system. Approximately one in five of these adverse effects were considered serious, according to the physicians. Dr. Jeffrey Linder, an internist who led this study, is now working to expand this technology.
This article goes on to explain that there have been other studies done indicating that physician’s do not report side effects to the FDA. The article says “just a tiny fraction of doctors submit the voluntary reports.” With a system like this, with ease and efficiency, it is much more likely for a physician to report side effects. This would help the FDA with its regulations, determine and identify more problems.
The more information, the better. With accurate reporting of side effects, drug companies will be able to conduct more studies with their drugs in different types of people, and the FDA can keep a closer eye on prescription medications. Obviously the patients are safer with a system like this. Drug interactions can be caught immediately, and side effects can be managed. With all the different possible variables, medicine is not an exact science. It evolves daily. The more tools that become available and the more advanced the technology becomes, a physician is freer to focus on his/her job of caring for the patient and being confident with decisions.
Monday, September 27, 2010
Welcome to my blog!
Well, this is my first time blogging about healthcare. It's even my first blog site! I anticipate doing quite a bit of it during a course titled The Internet and the Future of Patient Care. During this quarter, I hope to accumulate new information and knowledge. I also hope that as the course progresses, I am able to help other fellow classmates learn.
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