Martin,
I know and trust in my heart that your interests in how to better use computers for the betterment of your practice and more importantly your patients that you so obviously care about a great deal (and good for you!) is very sincere and seems to be almost a passion now.
But I am concerned that these kinds of features will be like nuclear science. Sure it has some good to offer mankind, but once this genie is out of the bottle there will be no stopping our FISA court government and thier CCHIT minded friends who are paid hansomely by the carriers to allow all these negative players to come feast at this table.
As always man's technology is far out pacing his ability to control and us it wisely. This is such a case. I feel and I'd love to hear other people's input here, that perhaps what DocM seeks here, it is not evil, just as TV is not junk or Evil, it is how we choose to use it that makes it good or evil.
So what I would love to see all the players involved do, and I think to some extent we have all been saying in one way or another is; that if and until we really have it out, and make the guiding principles and the ethical rules first, first we hash this so important issue out, then and only then will we allow it to move forward. Much like cloning. I mean if our civil liberties and medical privacy are not nearly as important as something like how to use and control cloning then perhaps we don't really live in American anymore. This I feel is what all those bozos at the AMA and other societies should really be howling about...
The technolgy should not be allowed to fall into the wrond hands to be used by special interests for their own selfish and vested interests. It should only be allowed to be used for the real purpose of medicine, and nothing else.
Furthermore, rule two, just like any other research project, informed consent for all patients with no penalty for opting out. Same for all providers. One should not be forced to particpate in the world's largest on going research study just to access their healthcare provider or have whatever form of insurance pay for it, right? Patients who care to passionately can pick another provider who does PAR with the project, perhaps like Martin's. Those who care about their privacy and care to opt out may come to a practice like ours instead. Informed consent, totally penalty free right to opt out, what is so wrong with any of this? We have always insisted upon it, so why not here on this the most invassive project of it's kind ever conceived and proposed?
It is my belief that unless they force it down our throats they know that most if not all providers and citizens would opt out at least in terms of data submission to "the project" and the spies. And so they make it mandatory and force it upon all of us.
Like here in NYS with the Vaccine Regisitry they made the opt out age 19 instead of 18 so as to capture most young adults, because most of them need one last CPE and at least the Menigitis vaccine to be allowed to go to college. How many of these smart well intended kids are going to postpone going to college an entire year especially with scholarships and other finacial aid sitting there, no less the competitve nature of just getting into the school of one's choice these days, just so as to avoid getting caught in this slippery slope towards their data enslavement to big brother and the anti-trust, cartel carriers??? Right probably almost none of them? Just like regisitring with selective service at 18. Heck they don't even understand half the issues involved here.
What say all of you???
