Tupeak Hope

E is for EHRs – #AtoZChallenge 2018

As the advent of electronic health records (EHRs) or electronic medical records (EMRs) as they are also sometimes called have essentially replaced traditional charting as well as traditional means of communication it has created the potential for a new void in effective communication between the provider and patient.

First and foremost you only get to see on the patient portal what the provider or health system wants you to be able to see. Unlike previous ways of viewing your chart, you now get snippets of the information contained in your chart prepared the way your provider and the EMR software designers have decided will best suit you, which is not always what serves your best interest. Some examples of challenges observed in the electronic age of medical records can consist of any number of the following examples.

D is for Doctors, Diagnosis, and Decisions – #AtoZChallenge 2018

I hate to break this news to the world (or at least those visiting this blog) but doctors are mere mortals. They are not the deities that they were once revered to be. This isn’t to say that they aren’t extremely important and that they don’t hold an extremely important role in our team of healthcare professionals, but they are just that, a member of the team. Yes they may have the ultimate decision-making ability regarding diagnosis and treatment, but that should be, and in ideal scenarios is only after careful examination, consideration, and discussion with the patient and any other pertinent members of that patient’s healthcare team.

C is for Costs

Even those with the best insurance available will likely find that there are many things that are either not covered, not approved for coverage, or the portion of which you are responsible for is anywhere from challenging to exorbitant and thus simply not feasible.

There are lots of examples of things that are routinely not covered as what’s called durable medical equipment that to some are a mere nuisance but to others are an absolute necessity for a safe and functional life.

B is for Barriers

When one thinks of barriers often the logical assumption is physical barriers followed by the question of barriers to what exactly. Barriers can take many forms including the obvious physical form but also may well include psychological, medical (health), and even spiritual depending upon your belief system. These barriers can be ones that are real, in the physical world or perceived. They can be tied to many aspects of life despite one’s state of health in many socioeconomic ways such as race, ethnicity, financial status, and job status to name just a few.

When thinking of the topic of accessibility most people tend to think in terms of physical access in public spaces. While this is definitely a legitimate and very important aspect of accessibility and one with which many people must contend, I would like to broaden the consideration of accessibility.

Think, for a moment, of the individual with health insurance, but without dental insurance. The age of this person is irrelevant in the aspect that it could just as easily be your 18-year-old brother, sister, or cousin just as easily as it could be your middle-aged or elderly person, be it a stranger or a family member.