Problem

Physicians have a role to play in our lives as health advisors and body mechanics.  This is because doctors obtain the education to justify such knowledge that enables people to consult them for advice legally.  When the expertise of a physician is examined it is often recognized that the doctor knows best.  A lot of this has been glorified through the years because of those that portray doctors on television.  The doctor is always  this seemingly loving person who can find the answer for various symptoms, no matter how complicated and distressed the patient appears to be. This is also the same doctor who finds illness in a patient who denies any symptoms, when the patient presents themselves to a physicians office for no real reason.

Older people mostly relied on nature, religion and the evolution of both to provide health harvest. Since medicine was more of a for hire tune up job, people did not visit the doctors because for the most part ailments and their cures resulted from  the lack of eating properly and much needed rest along with the correct remedies for bouts of bodily imbalances.  This can include vitamins and or herbal supplements.  Yes, I suppose it's possible for a person to go through life without any history of hypertension, or high cholesterol, anemia ect., but when you consider elderly people and how they continue to live-it is when you ask yourself are such diagnosis existent but not reported? Most anyone can say, they are doing fine and honestly it could be because they want cheaper insurance premiums and do not want to be subjected to any increase that may arise when ailments are reported. Having an uncle in the business or Uncle Premium could work by claiming all is well and if all is well then theres nothing to fix. On a fixed income it becomes difficult to afford much of an increase to anything because you don't have the extra money to pay.  Health workers that assist the elderly or someone in need are generally used for a reason. These reasons may include that no one is available to help the injured or sick post surgery, or hospital visit or that the elderly person does infact have issues that require them to need a person of assistance, otherwise they would not spend the money to request their services. Seems somewhat strange to have the goodlooks of a person strutting around with an elderly one for healthcare purposes if a problem did not exist.

Medicare, Medicaid as well as other insurances have problems with people who abuse the system. The physician is mysteriously paid by someone who he or she has never seen before or additional testing ranging from radiology, nuclear or specialist consult is done based on complaints of the patient or examination by the doctor.  Intervention is needed to maintain the integrity of the physician as well as to prevent abuse upon the patient regarding medical claims that could be submitted fraudulently and thus affect other aspects of their life once such information is reported.

Solution

How can this be done?

Patients not so long ago often answered question sheets about their health and provided this to their physician upon seeing them for the first time. Soon, after not following the doctors advice more ailments were to result and that information was of little to no use.  People could also create such information as they could a patient file in order to earn more money. In any event both the physician and patient have to be protected.  EMR is the new way doctors and hospitals and along with most everyone else is using to document patient visits, exams ect.. Since this information is electronic it can ultimately be shared with anyone having electronic access to such files.  It may be time to hold the patient accountable for medical record documentation and notation. Patients talk while the doctor writes. It is important because a physician really does not want to miss anything vital of a patients past, symptom or diagnosis because this can determine the current health or present condition of the patient. What is needed is patient voice recognition integrated into an EMR system.

How does this work?

A patient goes to visit his or her doctor and the physician gets on the computer to input information as the patient speaks. A patient voice recognition tab box will be enabled thus allowing the patient to talk with a mouthpiece. The patient voice recognition software will not only record but transcribe into text the patients words. If the patient cannot talk a representative for the patient can do so or with an external tablet the reason for visit or complaint can be entered. In doing so the reason for the visit and complaint will be documented and electronically signed off by the patient by voice activation or by external tablet.  This will ensure accurate patient visits, diagnosis and prevent unwanted charges.  The exam portion of the visit may not be recorded but the initial process or reason of visit - why you came to the doctor in the first place will be. This information will be kept as part of the patients file and can be used when insurance companies request medical charts of patients. Such data and information will be able to determine why such charges were billed to the insurance company and validate why additional tests or specialists visits could have been requested by the physician. Often times, since the patient aspect of a visit is not documented as stated by the patient that factor can contribute to insurance companies questioning various visits, exams ect.  A physician can go by learned and experienced information upon examination of the patient to determine what else if anything should be done. But, there are time when patients are insistent upon a certain test or a particular visit and the doctor will comply with the wishes of the patient to satisfy an overall coverage of health and well being. Once this occurs the physician will be under scrutiny for referring a patient to someone or for requesting tests that may not be considered necessary. If the patient fears he or she will be charged more then they will say the doctor told them to do this or that and they were just going along with the program without mention of what led to such referral or suggestion of furthur testing. Patient voice recognition will complete the patient chart by supplying necessary information to justify a visit because it will come from the patient themselves. Once patients are documented a reason for subsequent visits, tests ect. thereafter will have validity.

Solution

It would be awfully good for Metro-North in White Plains to clarify the difference between the two stops of White Plains and North White Plains. It is somewhat confusing. I don't want to spend the money to go from North to North. Besides, I have long since retired that little get up I used to wear many years ago. Can't the powers that be just write, say or indicate White Plains near Transcenter and Galleria. This would definitely indicate to an out of towner the difference between White Plains and North White Plains. It does not have to be etched into stone, but a little something would help with this problem.