Practicing Better Medicine?

A part of preparing to begin the process of medical school involves paperwork - a mountain of paperwork. This mountain is not Everest, but it is still a mountain. Ok, maybe a hill, but it was still more than I was expecting. Most of it was just, 'sign this document stating you will consent to allow other students to learn manipulation on you. Do you promise all this background information is true, etc.' A majority of the annoying stuff to fill out was health information. I've been vaccinated, but getting the proof of vaccination ended up being ridiculously round-about.

Finally I decided to call my pediatrician to get the records, I think off of the advice Neil gave me. As someone who has moved around a few times in recent years and a future medical professional, I am a strong advocate for a centralized health records system.

This concept is not a new one. Since the internet came into being, many of our 'sensitive' documents and information about our lives have found themselves online: banking information, insurance information, credit cards, investments, shopping habits, likes/dislikes and friends. Why not have a secure system in place where we can store our health histories? Moving from one part of the country to another would be much easier (for those who don't already have their health information organized). Going from specialist to specialist would no longer require a stack of paperwork to fill out, and needed information, like familial health history, might not slip through the cracks (did Uncle So-and-so have high blood pressure or COPD?).

Even having a centralized electronic health record (EHR) for a hospital/primary care facility could help improve quality of care by catching medical errors immediately or before the treatment plan begins. When prescribing medication, walk through screens could increase patient safety as drug incompatibilities and adverse affects can be highlighted before the pen reaches the Rx pad.

On a wider level, health trends and treatments could be categorized and implemented much faster if the EHR were used in conjunction with evidence based medicine.
Privacy has been cited as a concern, but with proper password/id protection, it shouldn't be a problem. Actually, the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), set up in 1996 not only helped to protect patients' right to privacy, but also set up guidelines for a paperless, centralized system of electronic health records. I have seen software systems used in academics and in medical practices that allow for information to be shared without compromising privacy standards.

More can be done to assuage privacy concerns, but I believe that the benefits of having a centralized EHR system outweigh any costs. What do you think?

Spring Softball

Yesterday, I was privileged to play a bit of softball with the Geoffrey's Mets. I was extremely nervous, because I haven't played in an actual game of baseball/softball since I was probably nine or ten years old. Here I was, subbing in on a D2 team.

It. was. AWESOME!

Yes, my senses were all heightened due to tendency to not want to screw up and I could feel every muscle in my body, but I played much better than I expected, and hopefully a lot better than they expected! I played catcher for most of the game and made a couple really important plays. I got knocked over trying to tag someone out sliding into home. Unfortunately, it was too close to call so the ump called him safe. Whatever, I wear my scrapes proudly!

I am extremely sore today. I asked Neil to remind me why I felt like it felt like I'd been hit by a truck this morning, if I had forgotten. I didn't forget. Being able to feel all those muscles I don't normally use reminds me of how important it is to change up your everyday exercise routine. If you neglect certain muscle groups during normal exercise, you will definitely pay for it later. Use ice and heat for sore muscles to prevent injury. But most importantly, try something new and have fun!