As the Presidential race gains  momentum , so does confusion galore .Every kind of media is spewing out their own statistics and in the process veering us away from making informed decisions . Its come to a point where the future electorate is like playing a Roulette . If you choose the right number , you are a winner otherwise , sorry . you loose .

The same questions stare at us , what we started the race with .

Are these promises for real? Are we  deciding for collective good ?Should be practice segregation or integration ?Does diplomacy give optimum results ?Would war bring peace ?

And so many more questions 

All we have is huge amount of unconfirmed data with no straight answers 

As my  gym instructor says – Dear , There are very few straight things left in life . But one of them has to be your right leg .So keep your right leg straight and then raise your left leg side ways with your both arms up .

Well , that’s not easy too 

As I said , Nothing is straight in this tough tough world .

HIPAA- in expanded form is Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act which was enacted by Congress and signed by President Clinton in 1996 .It ensures that Medical information  remains protected and is a right of every patient .It is also the duty of the treating  Medical Organization to cooperate in the best possible  manner .

When we start the medical practice , as physicians , we have to do  HIPAA training .Its a part of standard care .We have to   update it every year as a part of oraganizational  CME. Failing to maintain HIPAA standards has dire consequences . 

As  per HIPAA – we can’t discuss patient details where other people have easy hearing access to it .We cannot let the computer on in the work area when we are not working on it . We cannot let the forms be placed face up  in the public area and so on and so forth 

But surprisingly as we reach higher echelon in public offices – all HIPAA goes out of the window .Every shred of your body is a public property . The whole world discusses your health prognosis , correctly or  incorrectly .

The recent uproar about Secretary Clinton’s pneumonia was  unfortunate .When we do not trust presidential  nominees,  whether they are physically or mentally  healthy enough to carry out their jobs , how  can you trust them with decisions , which are in the best possible interest for the country and the whole world ?

Well , that’s the way we are .

 

In today’s world of  web search , our patients are not left behind .By the time they come for their appointment , they already have a tentative diagnosis and a management plan.Most of the time , it is helpful for the physicians as patients and physicians are on the same page .

Another thing that has really infiltrated our lives are the various IT applications .I don’t think anybody is left untouched by them . For every problem , there is an app based solution .Booking a cab, Grocery shopping , getting the chores done , keeping an eye on kid or getting their homework completed …, you name it and their is an app in the market .

Same stands for medical field .Total Calorie count , healthy eating , ideal weight , fitness routine ,cardiac risk , stroke risk …

So, one of our app savvy patient decided to take it a step further .She confirmed her pregnancy with an app by downloading the app with $10 and then placing her iphone on her belly . And yeeah  it confirmed her pregnancy . When she wanted to register herself for prenatal clinic , we were all very amused . Our Obstetricians have not heard about it as yet 

Big surprise – She was really pregnant and it was her 9th pregnancy