All of us have had experiences with medical professionals and medical institutio
ID: 96397 • Letter: A
Question
All of us have had experiences with medical professionals and medical institutions—physicians’ offices, emergency rooms, and hospitals. Use your prior knowledge and your readings from this week to answer the following questions about how patient information is gathered:
What type of information is taken? In what ways has technology improved the exchange of information? Where are you surprised to find that technology is not used? Is all the information you expected routinely available? How has technology enhanced or inhibited your experience as a patient or consumer?
Explanation / Answer
What type of information is taken- Information about the identity of patient (like his name age gender and his current health problem that he is suffering from) is recorded. After that his medical tests, prescribed by doctor, his reports, earlier visits if any, old medical history, Medicines prescribed etc. In what ways technology has improved the exchange of information- Earlier the identity details were noted down in register. And each time the pateint visits the doctor, he has to make it re entered in the register under the current date. But with computers, now data is entered electronically and fastly. It can be saved. And at the next visit, the same details of patient can be retrieved back. Machines for Blood test, ECG, CT scan, Cardio check up, Sugar check up, urine stool tests , all can be done very fastly nowadays. And reports can be made ready in no time. Patients can consult specialist doctors through online means also. Latest Technology is not being used in government hospitals. Yes all the information we expected routinely is available but the process is very slow and time taking. Because, even today they use traditional files to note down entries. For initial consultation and simple medicines, govt hospitals can be recommended but if the patient needs advanced level of diagnosis and surgery, then it is very difficult to be done smoothly, due to lack of advanced technology in machines.