[LINK] Your Medicare records online

[Lea de Groot]

On 3/03/10 10:30 AM, Ivan Trundle wrote:
> developing a new system with purported benefits for healthcare users.

Its interesting, when its raised that the new system is for 'the benefit 
of healthcare users'.
As an IT professional, I can't see any real benefits for 'healthcare 
users' (I'm lazy - I'm going to shorten that to 'patients' for the rest 
of this email.)
Patients want the doctor to make them well when they are sick.
They don't care how the doctor keeps their records.
The proposed system is (possibly) for the benefit of health 
professionals, in reducing their workload, and (definitely) for the 
benefit of the people who fund them.
Now, does this reduce the workload of the medical professionals?
The American implementations I have heard of - from people forced to 
upgrade their workplaces to meet new standards - say that isn't the 
case. The changeover is horrendous and the benefits minimal.
So, why are we doing this again?
To help patients?
I'm not buying it.
A mistaken belief that computerising systems automatically makes things 
Better is just that - mistaken.
There is no magic in IT.
So, we come down to a benefit to the people who fund health care.
I don't see that this benefit is worth the huge cost, myself.

Lea
-- 
Lea de Groot
Brisbane, .au