There exists an imbalance in health care, whereby procedure based specialists receive better compensation than cognitive primary care preventive physicians. This has to change. Technology developed by scientists and engineers is the driving force of better medical care through improved and earlier diagnostics, better pharmaceutical drug production by high through put screening, and evolving robotically controlled surgery and nanomedicine. Doctors no longer "own " health care, but are just the visible end users of the technology and applied science products developed by others. To remain relevant, practising physicians must become more actively engaged in biomedical primary preventive and curative research, This way , a larger section of the physician population beyond those in academics will become generators and not just consumers of information.
AA Ajayiof TX12:40AM August 24, 2009
Medicine is an art and science. It is so heart warming to read the article by an expert Physician, humanist and Prof.Bernadine Healy. What a joy to read her article, the intellectual and human dimensions of her thinking and down-to earth comments. I learnt a lot from writings. I teach in a medical school and it is wonderful to think that computer touch screen and finger touch do play a role in medicine. One cannot outweigh the other. It is true technology has brought diagnosis and thereapeutics to the forefront. In a time when primary care is a greater challenge in under-developed and developing countries technology may benefit tertiary care. Yet lack of basic medical facilities in many countries, even the basic required drugs that combat tuberculosis, parasitic infections haunt the world- we have a population centripetally located in high-tech care with the periphery rounded by millions asking for you to provide them with basic medicare. Only madam you could mobilize forces to see that such services reach any desperately wanting human to have without borders and prejudice. That is global health care.
dhastagir sheriff6:44AM July 28, 2009
Medical care has always been very reactive. Having a national database of patient information would make it possible for the medical community as a whole to learn what works and to more accurately advise patients on where their choices are taking them and what lifestyle changes would be most effective in helping them to live better. Having access both to an individual patient's detailed history and statistical data on diagnostics and patient outcomes over large populations would make a revolutionary leap in wellness care possible. And that, would in turn dramatically reduce the expenditures on dealing with preventable chronic illnesses.
J.A.Turnerof CA4:02PM June 30, 2009
A machine in every room. medicine is being reduced to machine scans, and scan readers. There is a loss of the personal aspect,a and this is a part of medical therapy.
In addition, Bostonian practices of hiking the machine costs at least an order of magnitude above a sensible cost, and machine charges to pay off the machines and profitize medicine, has led to exorbitant medical charges, and high insurance costs. This has to change, if people will be insurable by their employers. Too expensive.
Gerhart de Zorroof WI4:35AM June 01, 2009
AS we find more depth in human pathologies the advent of its complexities will need a talent to deal with it that escapes all but a few who enter this field. Not taking notes at once is against the Hippocratic oath. Luckily now the internet is steering in the direction of solving this emerging problem. For the older generation this may not often be available. Maybe this is lucky since the SS recipients would swell too soon and to much for our system.
A.Graf Matuschkaof CO2:29PM May 05, 2009
One of the greatest technological accomplishments in mocdern medicine is the innovation of the da vinci surgical robot at the East Carolina University School of Medicine. The team has performed over 800 successful cardiothoracic surgeries and trains doctors from around the world every day and was the first in the USA to perfrom this operation. ECU now has the most state of the art heart center in the country and has grown to be a leader in cardio care. I work there so I know first hand.
I wonder does US News and Reports really research the medical schools and take into consideration all aspects when ranking the schools?
Robert Lewis
Greenville NC
Go Pirates!
Robert Lewisof NC4:17AM April 24, 2009
Medical offices are run by the staff(many are NOT educated, but trained when hired, especially "nurses"!) Also there are very few, very few doctors that dictate right after they see a patient, most of them rely on their memory hours later or even day(s) later when dictating IMPORTANT, personal medical information. Doctors are human and many can have a bad day that can actually "wreck" your visit with them, even curtail the reality of your visit, depending on their "mood".I have personal upfront dealings with this everyday, and in the past at other m.d.offices. Dr.s are some of the most emotional people I know, and yet we are to let them charaterize our "lives" and those of others.What are the statistics of people being misdiagnosed? Has that ever crossed anyone's minds to do that kind of study first? Wake up and realize that doctors love money first and formost.
Cherylof NV5:45PM April 23, 2009
Fast food is not a social determinant of health. Income,hunger, job security, poverty, are SDOH. Fast food is fast food.
Dennis Raphael7:45AM April 23, 2009
The concept of the Medical Home will change the medical profession too. Medical Home physicians will have a tremendous responsibility and will rely upon information technology to make the concept workable and feasible.
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JUSTICE WILLIAMSON of GA 1:49PM September 30, 2009
AA Ajayi of TX 12:40AM August 24, 2009
dhastagir sheriff 6:44AM July 28, 2009
J.A.Turner of CA 4:02PM June 30, 2009
Gerhart de Zorro of WI 4:35AM June 01, 2009
A.Graf Matuschka of CO 2:29PM May 05, 2009
Robert Lewis of NC 4:17AM April 24, 2009
Cheryl of NV 5:45PM April 23, 2009
Dennis Raphael 7:45AM April 23, 2009
Mary Pat Whaley of NC 3:46AM April 23, 2009