Docnotes

Miracle Baby Grew In Liver

 

BBC:

Miracle baby 'grew in liver'

Standard for Continuity of Care Record

HIMSS News:

HIMSS (Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society)

 ASTM International, HIMSS and Massachusetts Medical Society Align to Establish New Continuity of Care Standard BOSTON (May 22, 2003) - The ASTM International, Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society (HIMSS), and Massachusetts Medical Society have joined forces to establish a standard for the Continuity of Care Record (CCR), which will enable healthcare providers to base future care on relevant and timely patient information.

"We want to end the situation where doctors must either start from scratch or act blindly because they don't have the patient's relevant past history, allergies, or the details of medications" said Thomas Sullivan, MD, president of the Massachusetts Medical Society, the organization initiating the development of the CCR standards.

An ongoing record of care, the CCR should be created or updated at the end of every healthcare encounter and available for review by the next provider, no matter what and where the healthcare setting might be. As a result, that provider would use the CCR to guide the care process for the patient. The patient also may request a CCR printout to provide valid and current information for another healthcare provider.

We'll need to see the details .. but this may be a very good thing ... and a no-brainer for the other professional societies to get behind.  Perhaps we can bring it up at next weeks' NAPCI meeting

ASTM International, HIMSS and Massachusetts Medical Society Align to Establish New Continuity of Care Standard

HIMSS (Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society)

ASTM International, HIMSS and Massachusetts Medical Society Align to Establish New Continuity of Care Standard

Partnership for Clear Health Communication

The Partnership for Clear Health Communication is a new endeavor with a goal of improving health literacy.  What is health literacy?

Health literacy is the ability to read, understand and effectively use basic medical instructions and information.

Low health literacy can affect anyone of any age, ethnicity, background, or education level. People with low health literacy:

Are often less likely to comply with prescribed treatment and self-care regimens.

Fail to seek preventive care and are at higher (more than double) risk for hospitalization. Remain in the hospital nearly two days longer than adults with higher health literacy.

Often require additional care that results in annual health care costs that are four times higher than for those with higher literacy skills.

New Medlogs ...

Thanks to Steve for the link ... I've added "Wireless Doc" to the Medlogs.com aggregator.

... andother new one today .. Living With Colon Cancer

I'm still working on getting the medlogs.com posts sorted by date of last post.  I don't like how they're sorted now .. and I'll bet you don't either.

We'll get that workin soon.

British Journal of Cardiology

The British Journal of Cardiology has several interesting articles this month.  Full-text is free after (quick) registration.

 

Google Compute

Google Compute - You've likely heard of the programs that use your computer's idle time to do something good for the world.  Now users with the Google toolbar can turn on a function that will enable them to be participants in the Google Compute project.

The first beneficiary of this effort is Folding@home, a non-profit research project at Stanford University that is trying to understand the structure of proteins so they can develop better treatments for a number of illnesses. In the future Google Compute may allow you to donate your computing time to other worthwhile endeavors, including projects to improve Google and its services.

Hmm.  "improve google and its services"  I wonder what that means.

TV physicians

Why don't the physicians on TV ever write progress notes?  John Carter! ... Medical Records is calling .. you're waaay behind on your progress notes!

Talking with, examining, listening to our patients is the easy (and rewarding) part of the job.

The paperwork (or computerwork) is the compoenent that's not so fun .. but is just as necessary.  I'm not sure that anyone who's not a physician really understands this challenge.   After seeing our patients for a day, we make phone calls .. with lab resuts etc .. and return the calls that have come in ... THEN we try to finish our notes for the day ... and review new labs and letters that have come in .. and ... make it home by midnight .. or the kids' soccer game if possible.

I'm pretty good at "multitasking" .. but this recent article in Family Practice Management reminds us that we're better off if we just focus on doing what needs doing .. and get it done.

 

Osler's Comments ..

It's late Sunday night .. I should be writing the paper that I've promised to the editors of American Family Physician by Tuesday night. 

Last week's Medscape assignment now complete,  (I"ll link to it when published) and the Journal of Family Practice paper on sinusitis now pending publication (July?) ...  soo .. what am I doing?  Reading William Osler:

There is no question that the public is awakening, but many State Boards of Health need more efficient organization, and larger appropriations. Others are models, and it is not for lack of example that many lag behind. The health officers should have special training in sanitary science and special courses leading to diplomas in public health should be given in the medical schools. Were the health of the people made a question of public and not of party policy, only a skilled expert could possibly be appointed as a public health officer, not, as is now so often the case, the man with the political pull.

These comments, made in 1914 in reference to Typhoid, could be applied in some ways to the events of the last year or so.   Public health is clearly good politics, but it's more complex than most politicians think.  Tim Bishop's recent post on SARSwatch touches on this concept.  He suggests that CDC director Dr. Julie Gerberding is playing the role of an educator - in addition to her role as the key decisionmaker in how US policy is developed and implemented to respond to SARS.

Tim makes a great point.   (btw he's also released a "sars news feed.")

 

Sock of the month club

Sam's Sock of The Month Club isn't getting much business.  I think he should lower his prices.