Proposal: Revised

Until recently, most medical facilities were dependent on physical paper charts for patients, and hand written directions and orders for medical personal. With the immersion of technology in our everyday lives, it is surprising that the medical industry has not been an early adopter of different electronic options. ChartLogic Inc, MacPractice, and e-MD’s DocMan are examples of three companies that are attempting to revolutionize the medical industry with all digital organization of medical records. With these new possibilities, new questions arise. What can these electronic medias do for the medical field? How do physicians and other medical personal feel about the switch to digital? How do patients feel about their personal information being digitized and send through the inter-webs within seconds?

Many factors come into play when dealing with the medical industry, privacy being the main issue. Patient privacy which is protected by laws and regulations such as HIPPA, provide a strict guidelines for facilities and personal alike. Would patient privacy be too difficult do preserve when using this instantly sending and receiving type system? On the other hand, do the benefits outweigh the consequences? Benefits such as receiving immediate input from a physician across the nation that may save a patients life, better preservation of records, and even better organization.

The purpose of this project is to discuss electronic usage in the medical field, particularly with the usage and replacement of charts and communications. Different practices, companies, and devices will be discussed, such as ChartLogic Inc, MacPractice, iPad, and e-MD’s DocMan. Interviews will be conducted with various medical personal in order to receive their opinion on the possibility of electronic implementation. Issues surrounding the use of technology in the medical field will also be a topic, especially through the opinions of different medical personal as well as various patients across ages. The project will be presented in a blog format at the following webpage: http://dawnwolffista160.blogspot.com/