When Big Data Meets Big Healthcare - Comments Page 1

I'd like to shout an "expletive" here, but won't. I'm a patient of a doctor within Carolinas HealthCare System, and I don't like this at all! It smacks of snooping by the NSA. About the only thing a person can do is stop using credit cards, and not even that may matter if you pay cash for prescriptions. Time to send a link to the local TV news editors.

If you get an unsolicited call from your doctor's office about your eating habits, I don't think the robot that's calling you will need an audiologist!

I love your last sentence, Bob:

"I know that if I get an unsolicited call from my doctor’s office about my eating habits, somebody is going to need an audiologist."

It nearly made me choke on my coffee.

I know it will not prevent a scenario like this from happening with Mr. Jones and his Twinkies, but whenever I get that discount key fob at the grocery store, I do not use my real credentials. I'm not sure it's anybody's business how much junk food or beer I buy. Someone is going to have to do a little more digging to find out that I am not really Harlan Sanders buying all those steaks.

The frightening thing is that if someone has collected all the private data, then someone else can hack into the system and get it. "Big Brother" doesn't need to watch so closely.

I heard about this. I'm not happy. Sounds like it's time to concentrate on cash for everyday transactions.
So, this is supposed to save healthcare money. But I'm sure these big data compilers are not giving the info away for free. How much are they charging hospitals and insurance companies for it? And won't that cost be reflected in our healthcare premiums and deductibles and copays?
And as for hectoring phone calls from my doctor/insurance company, I'm with you. They better be wearing earplugs if they call me. Go away, Big Brother!

It seems like we are going full circle and it's a good time to start making all possible transactions in cash.

"1984" anyone?

I'm Welsh and Herself is Californian.

We often compare 'healthcare' on both sides of the Atlantic, and are very glad we live here.

Yes, both systems have big problems but doctors here are a little more able to act independently.

Any application of statistics to individual health shows an infantile lack of understanding of statistics.

For example, the 'doctor' in the USA who refuses adequite pain relief to our Great Aunt Patsy as she could be in danger of developing 'long term addiction' and 'reduction of efficacy'...... the old dear was 90 last birthday!

The same goes for obesity. I am overweight by about 14 pounds assessed by a National Sports Centre checking muscle bulk, bone density fat etc. According to 'statistics' I am obese needing to lose at least 56 pounds to be anywhere near a 'healthy' weight.

If all this data is made available to those with vested interests you can be sure that it will only increase costs for those who do not fit the average and not reduce costs for those who do.

Jon

P.S. Unfortunately Aunty is far to old to get a nice card from a doctor and enjoy her pain relief.

Interesting that the data broker prefers to remain anonymous but has no qualms about trampling the anonymity of those referenced by the data.

Has someone sent Dr Dulin a copy of '1984' by Orwell?

Long ago I abandoned the delusion that medicine as practiced in the US was a 'human service' - it is our biggest business and we are all its minions.

I have been involved with Quality Control since the days of W. Edwards Deming, who converted Japan from trinkets to modern autos and technology. And the company I worked for (Westvaco) became a world-wide supplier to all six continents via QC.

Medicine is still mostly old school where people doesn't see a doctor until they become sick. Now doctors want to join this century-long successful approach and anticipate medical problems at the early stages. In concert with Technology, Big Data will prove it both cost-efficient and health-effective, benefiting all citizens.

Re:Big data meets healthcare.
I am glad I'm pushing 60.George Orwell was right.There will be no personal freedom.

Thank you, Bob.

The ACLU put together a 2-1/2 minute video seven or eight years ago that shows exactly how big data can get involved when some poor guy tries to order a pizza. It all seemed so futuristic back in 2007. Not so much now.

The video is both amusing and disturbing (NOTE: There is no audio for the first 10 seconds.)

View it at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-zh9fibMaEk

If you can't see that web address, go to YouTube and in the search box enter "the big brother pizza shop"

Lee

Borg was right!
Even just using cash is no salvation, since the cameras already know who you are and that you are purchasing a pack of smokes, despite the fact that you lied and said you don't smoke in your ACA application.

I have been receiving Post Cards from my Insurance Company for a couple of years now, telling me to contact their Nurse on the Phone for minor issues. So, it really has already started.

This article is so timely and scary. I have stopped using plastic for just these reasons. I budget better with cash and my transactions are private except to the local clerk I am doing business with. I know a brilliant local doctor who wants to buck this system and connect with retired rich doctors (who would come back into medicine if it were really about healing patients) and start a whole new hospital organization in direct opposition to the Affordable Care Act which has taken over our entire medical system and more. The goal is for patient care being the prime objective, not the bottom line. He is sick of being told how to treat patients, filling out forms to cover the government regulations and following the rules of the insurance companies at the behest of the government. All this comes at the cost of true patient care and he is fed up. When will people wake up to what is taking place???? Thanks for posting this Bob!

First of all ... You can lead a horse to water ... But, you can NOT make him drink!!!

I see several legal violations, with this new approach, for medicine. Secondly, I do NOT need my doctor or nurse or office personnel ... Telling me, what to do with my medications or how, I should take them. This is always discussed, when I go see my doctor, on a regular basis ... NOT just when I am sick!!!

The first thing that, comes to mind ... Just HOW is the doctor or nurse to know if, they are actually talking or texting the right patient??? Remember, doctor/patient confidentiality is paramount, in the medical field. When a patient comes in person, to see their doctor, then this is not an issue ... But, it is a MAJOR issue, when it is done over the phone or by texting.

Yes, I am completely aware, that patients call their doctors all the time, to hear about test results, medication refills or changes in medication, so on and so on, and that isn't an issue, but, in reality ... It really can be a major issue, since, the doctor or nurse can NOT see the person, on the other end of the phone.

The law is called the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act or routinely called HIPAA. This was law was signed by Pres. Clinton in 1996. It is the Title II portion, that is really "touching", as far as interpretation is concerned. Read the following, to see for yourself.

"Title II of HIPAA defines policies, procedures and guidelines for maintaining the privacy and security of individually identifiable health information as well as outlining numerous offenses relating to health care and sets civil and criminal penalties for violations. It also creates several programs to control fraud and abuse within the health care system.[10][11][12] However, the most significant provisions of Title II are its Administrative Simplification rules. Title II requires the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to draft rules aimed at increasing the efficiency of the health care system by creating standards for the use and dissemination of health care information."

Many may wonder why, I am so informed, as well as very, very concerned, about all of this ... I worked in the Medical/Surgical Field, for over 25 years and do know about patient confidentiality ... It applies to all who take care of a patient and should it be found out, that someone broke confidentiality ... They are FIRED, on the spot. I have seen it happen.

An interesting development, but nothing new as life insurance firms and medical insurance require your doctor to fill in the forms with all your ailments and the medical insurance wants all the details of your illnesses if you want them to pay the bill.
If you look on the positive side, preventive medicine is cheaper and more effective. On the negative side, discrimination may take place if you don't follow the requirements for that preventive medicine regime. If you don't follow "advice" you might find yourself having to pay the bill for your own "excesses" as determined by some computer.
As most Americans seem completely paranoid about their non-existent privacy, I can see this "pro-active" system being a load of codswallop within a short time as people become more careful about where and how they purchase goods and services.

I sent a link to this article to 2 Charlotte TV news departments. I received a callback from one of them about an hour later. The reporter wanted to know what I knew about all this which was nothing more that what Bob wrote and what was in the Bloomberg article. After I told her that, she admitted that she'd just called Dr. Dulin who told her they only paid for things like age and gender. I questioned why they'd pay for something that was already in their system. Her reply: "hmmm." Maybe she'll do some more investigating, do a report and get others involved in putting an end to this. Probably no end in sight, though. :(

How about the "sun police" ... too many basal cell carcinomas? So you're out in the sun too much?
No problem, we'll just confine you to a nice dark room.