Posts Tagged ‘computer’

A US-based study has found that computer-related injuries are rising rapidly among young children. These are not the typical injuries you’d expect from long term computer use like carpal tunnel, repetitive strain or back injuries. Rather, research is showing for the first time a surprising seven-fold increase over the last decade in sudden computer-related injuries such as tripping over equipment and cables, or monitors falling on people’s heads. Over the past 13 years these types of injuries have skyrocketed by 732 percent. The age group most affected are children under the age of five.

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With the US government trying to stimulate wider adoption of electronic medical records (EMR), Wal-Mart is diving in head first by marketing its very own EMR product. By using its buying power, Wal-Mart is combining Dell computers with EMR software from eClinicalWorks and offering the bundle as an affordable way for small medical offices to afford an EMR system. The EMR will allow medical professionals to digitally record patient charts, organize billing statements, and handle patient registration. Wal-Mart believes this product will appeal to smaller medical groups and practices since they have already successfully implemented the technology in their store-based health clinics that can be found now in 8 states across the US.

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Lawsuits and litigations are common in US culture and certainly in US medicine.  Now, a new computer program aims to guide patients and physicians toward favorable outcomes following adverse ones. The REACT Program promotes and advocates open and honest discussion between the parties involved. The goal is to reach a common ground based upon effective dialogue, something that medical students are – and ought to be – taught. However, in light of our litigation-happy culture, it can sometimes be difficult for physicians to admit fault. This is why some states have adopted “apology immunity laws,” which protect healthcare workers from their apologies or benevolent gestures being used against them in court. If honesty is truly the best policy then why do many prefer litigation over acceptance of apology?

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US president elect Barack Obama stated that his administration will invest money to make sure that the health records of all Americans are computerized in the next five years. Estimates have put the cost of such an endeavor in the billions. However, the move is intended to eventually save Americans billions in health care costs. More importantly, electronic health records have been shown to improve patient care by reducing medical errors. Obama’s plan is to eventually have one standard electronic system that all health care facilities will use. This certainly will not be an easy task given the commercialization of health care in the US today. On a related note, beginning this month Medicare will begin to offer incentives to physicians who prescribe electronically.

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New research published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology finds that the current computer models used to determine breast cancer risk appears to underestimate the true risk in Asian women. Oncologists use computer models to identify women who might have certain genetic mutations which increase their risk of breast and ovarian cancer. Those women deemed by the models to be likely carriers of the BRCA1 and BRCA2 gene mutations are then referred for genetic testing of these genes. The researchers found that the models were highly accurate in predicting the presence of mutations in white women, but falls short when it comes to Asians. It’s yet unclear why this is the case. They suspect that inheritance patterns common in white women may be different in the Asian population. The researchers emphasize the need for further investigation into the genetic variability of different ethnic groups. Full story.

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