I admit it, I've been bad.
I did a bit of leisure reading, when we all know that I should be focusing on wrapping up the last several weeks of my undergraduate career. I read Treatment Kind and Fair, Letters to a Young Doctor by Dr. Perri Klass. This book is a compliation of stories and experiences from a doctor mother to her medical student son. It was written to help him keep focused on instrinic rewards of serving as a doctor.
One particular story that I personally liked:
Dr. Klass laid out a scenario where a homeless man went into a clinic with gastrointestinal issues. Unable to afford prescription drugs, the man asked the doctor in the clinic to provide him with samples. Well, to keep it short, the problem had to do with drug interactions and keep medical records.
Someone should develop a database of drugs and possible harmful interactions within electronic medical records programs! How genius would that be?! (Or did someone already do that?)
However, she asks if there were such a cautionary step, how many doctors would have the time to take advantage of that? Most doctors finish up charting after the patient has left the office, which means the patient is already out filling the prescription or taking the first dose of his sample (in which case, the doctor cannot contact the pharmacist).
She suggests this solution: "Get the clinic to use an appropriate and well-constructed electronic medical record program, without too many clicks or obstacles, train the doctors to use it properly and promptly, and do away with the drug samples. Along the way, we'd like to push for smarter doctors."
Easier said than done, Doc.
But apparently, simplicity and efficiency is key. With all the chaos that goes on in a day's work at the hospital, doctors need simplicity, not another complicated system.
Sounds like an exciting opportunity, no?
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2 comments:
Nice article, I enjoyed reading it. I do not think you were being bad Miss Sally.
Yo Sally,
I worked at Valley Medical Center for 4 years in high school. My mom and her boss (a great family friend) runs the office basically.
In regards to the woman's suggestions, Depuy (a Johnson and Johnson Company) has a lot of those suggestions already implemented (ex. drug interaction issues).
In regards to her last statement about less 'prescription peddlers', pharmaceutical companies will never cease to advertise to doctors. They make bank and help the doctors make bank. No one will stop the money - one can only hope that the medication that the doctors are influenced to advise to their patients is truly a good drug.
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