This diagram shows the information flow for a patient in the
healthcare information realm. As you can see, the flow goes as fast as it can
toward billing insurance. It does not necessarily care about the patient and
the quality of the information. As long as there is an account number, it’s
full steam ahead!
As a patient, you feel this. What’s the first thing you do
when you go to the doctor’s? You don’t get triaged, you get asked for billing
information and oh, by the way, what are you here for? Shouldn’t it be the
other way around, like when you bring your car in for service? Have it checked
out, then if there is an issue, talk about how much it’s going to cost, then
agree or disagree to the service.
Information Technology is a patch applied to a system
wrought with politics and policies which have been analyzed over and over again
by the best consultants money can buy. It’s a wonder that IT has been this
successful in pushing its automation techniques into the heart of healthcare.
The disputes between nurses and doctors continue, IT is in the mix now. As
Healthcare systems own insurance company, so do insurance companies own
hospitals and physicians. Everyone is in line to make money to survive and
grow.
Expanding healthcare is fine, but the issue is that the
patient has to be vigilant more than ever to ask for all visit related and
referred information. They will be tangled in the vines if they are not the
keeper of their electronic records.
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