At a recent symposium, we had the fun opportunity to meet with doctors, nurses, and administrators from local hospitals to discuss new technologies and services that are currently available to community health centers and will be available in the near future.
I did a little reading research to gain a little knowledge of what medical professionals are discussing with us. Then you can ask intelligent questions. But one thing I really wanted to know was why on earth, in this high-tech age, are doctors still using fax machines?
According to Dr. Google, fax technology has been around for about 160 years. Initially it was sent over copper wire using dots and dashes (later improved to zero and he one, off and on) and then printed on paper when they figured out how to do it. But today, copper wires are largely gone, down to the dodo, and are instead used to wirelessly transmit 1s and 0s on and off at the speed of light. Now, electronics.
Professor Google also told me that two professions still use fax technology: the medical profession and the legal profession. Most people would agree that these professionals are well-educated, innately smart about their profession, and knowledgeable about the latest technology and the ways of the world. Some have amassed modest wealth, the material things of life, which are generally recognized as a contribution to the community.
Doctors know about nuclear medicine, how to inject isotopes and radioactive substances, read X-rays and scans, and inject diagnostic and therapeutic drugs. Lawyers know how to talk. So one might wonder why they are still using the old technology of sending faxes. Do they not trust the digital world, or is it a question of economics? Who better to ask than financial and computer technology managers?
Using the old math of the least common denominator, the one thing all doctors in a region, district, or state had in common was a fax machine. Pharmacies also used faxes because they collaborated with doctors. True, the profession was gradually becoming digital, but there were so many different types of hardware and software that it was not possible to determine a common denominator. While they were trying to solve this problem, due to debt and capital gains taxes, they entered the legal profession, fortunately also using facsimile technology.
Were these professionals wary of being hacked? Hacking is a concern because they have sensitive information that must be kept secret. In the past, it was possible to “wiretap” phone lines and listen to conversations, but the beeps of a fax transmission were incomprehensible to the human ear. (Computers weren't that popular back then). As another safety measure, faxes often included a handwritten section. It's no secret that a doctor's handwriting is a carefully crafted technique that can only be interpreted by a pharmacy calligraphy expert. 99% of the time.
Oh, and I should also add that I was told that if the health center were hacked, the alternative was to put it on paper. Write everything down and organize it later. Rule number two was to print because the new generation of workers couldn't read cursive. Or is it cursed writing?
Happy to change the subject, the doctors talked about new technology coming online. A new technology in mammography is the ability for patients to adjust the pressure the machine applies to their breasts during the scan. Electronic type scans can also more accurately identify any masses within the breast. This is good news for people with dense or fibrous breasts. Additionally, minimally invasive treatments such as novel isotope tracking, in-situ treatments, and arthroscopic surgery can minimize recovery time.
If you are a little uncomfortable, please skip this paragraph.
What was new and exciting (or so the presenter, a urologist, thought) was a device for men who dribble. There is a clamp-like device that surrounds the urethra and opens and closes the duct as required. All you have to do is press a small button to pee or not. The button is attached to the inside of the scrotum. What about us – the women at the table asked. They're working on it, the doctor replied. The problem was finding where to put the button.
If you ask them what their biggest wish is, the obvious answer would be more money from the Ontario government. Doug's people are still trying to catch up from the pandemic and rectify Bill 124's attempted wage restrictions. Fundraising efforts for local foundations are going well. So we're raising money for new capital equipment. I proposed the idea of ​​moving to complete federal funding. Health, like housing, was a state responsibility, and the federal government intervened there. Now, with BNA and everything else, we need to take control of this medical care.
What was their second wish, besides more money? More nurse practitioners. Really? This was from the people who run the ER. They explained the reason behind their hope, with news that they had opened several short-term beds for ER patients and that despite staff shortages, response times were among the best in the North. Anecdotes about ER wait times are common, and we're not unique. Much of the problem stems from a lack of general family doctors in the community.
Don't think we're special in this regard. A recent study in the United States also pointed to the same issue. Leaving private practice to specialize. Stress takes its toll. Medical students who do not choose a general practitioner role. The average wait time for a primary care doctor appointment in major US cities was 26 days. Wait times in the ER were similar to ours, with about 10% of people giving up and leaving the waiting room before seeing a doctor (or nurse).
We focus on finances, jobs, and housing, but if you're sick, you can't work, you can't afford a house, and your life can be miserable. Keep your eye on the ball (stick season on the ice is almost over). Oh, and I would like to ask my friend, where can he fax that Dribble Button application form?
