Physician go social
Check out how social networking is shaping the “Medisphere.” This report lists eight different networking sites for physicians: DIGtrends: Spheres of Influence from DIG » Social Networking for Doctors.
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Check out how social networking is shaping the “Medisphere.” This report lists eight different networking sites for physicians: DIGtrends: Spheres of Influence from DIG » Social Networking for Doctors.
Although they seem a little late to the game, knowledge-sharing via the internet is exploding among physicians these days.
The Health Care Blog: OMNI: The Oncology Metrics National Index. 2007-Aug-20, by Brian Klepper
An innovative Ft. Worth consulting firm comprised of experienced oncology professionals, Oncology Metrics, has linked private oncology practices throughout the country in a collaborative, knowledge-sharing enterprise, called the Oncology Circle. The first round of information brought together 22 practices containing 167 medical oncologists. Combined, the practices treated almost 63,000 patients annually, had $600 million in revenues and spent $375 million on drugs.
In a separate but related effort, Oncology Metrics has established a new national data aggregation effort, The Oncology Metrics National Index (OMNI), which brings together data from practices using electronic medical records (EMRs), mapping the data in each EMR to a standard template. Then those data are aggregated and mined to produce different cancer care-related clinical measures associated with procedures and processes: e.g., the administration of erythropoietin (anemia drugs), hemoglobin (Hgb) testing, and patient staging. A primary goal is to create a data mine that can allow each practice to see how it compares to others, and how they might improve. But a secondary and also very important objective is the development of transparency information that can help rationalize the practices and costs that have dominated oncology.
Deeper structural problems dog efforts to reform healthcare.
WSJ: Doctor Shortage Hurts A Coverage-for-All Plan. 2007-Jul-25, by Zachary M. Seward
The dearth of primary-care providers threatens to undermine the Massachusetts health-care initiative, which passed amid much fanfare last year. Newly insured patients are expected to avail themselves of primary care because the insurance covers it. And with the primary-care system already straining, some providers say they have no idea how they will accommodate an additional half-million patients seeking checkups and other routine care.
George Church, Harvard geneticist, has launched the Personal Genome Project (PGP). He's planning to build a database that includes not only individual genetic maps but also medical histories and other information about each participant so that scientists can create test cases in personalized medicine. They also hope these test cases will give insurance and government more insight into the situations that will come up. Learn more at Wikipedia and Technology Review.
From Wikipedia: Personal Genome Project
Of the first ten, these nine have given permission to release their names:
WSJ: Full Disclosure. 2007-Jul-25, by Esther Dyson
I believe that the broader spread of this kind of medical and personal information is inevitable. For most people, this kind of information won't be easily accessible on the Internet to strangers, but it will be discoverable by employers, insurers, law enforcement and probably by anyone with the inclination and resources to hunt for it aggressively. Greater knowledge implies greater responsibility, in so many spheres. It's fine not to take actions when you don't know the consequences, but when you do know the consequences, both action and inaction are a decision.
