I know we have become used to belt and braces in the city -
eg pt presents with scrotal lump. You examine and find the typical
clinical signs of epididymitis/hydrocele etc and tell the patient so. He
looks at you with a frown as if to say "hmm you are only a GP - can I
trust you to know on clinical signs alone?" (You worry and think - yes I
am sure it is xxx on clinical exam, but what if I am wrong? Anyway pt
doest seem convinced)
You explain the signs etc - pt remains unconvinced and worried - you say
- well why dont we do an ultrasound which will give us an image and we
all be reassured. Pts face relaxes - smiles all round. Everyone is happy
- you get to see pt again more money - radiologist continues to print
money (well HIC is the only one not happy)
When I went to Broome and couldnt do U/S easily I found it quite
unconfortable.
Refusing to do these things only brings grief IMO.
R
Ian Cheong wrote:
Hard to hypothesise sensibly without knowing what the available data
actually shows is increasing absolute/relative, etc, etc.....
Gut feel? All health care is costing more, and bureaucracies are
wasting even more of it on consultancies for little benefit when the
problems are in the Medicare system that nobody is game to fix.
Ian.
At 9:50 pm +1100 6/3/06, Peter MacIsaac wrote:
GPCG members,
I would appreciate a little help. I am involved in a project looking
at a range of issues around radiology referrals. I would intend
passing on the report for comment when drafted. However in the
meanwhile there has been a steady increase in the cost of radiology
services over recent years. We are looking for likely hypotheses
from the coal face as to what might explain this. Another glaringly
obvious issue is the lack of electronic referrals to radiologists -
we are not sure to what is the extent of computer generation of
printed request forms, and there seems to be little electronic
transfer occurring.
Any ideas appreciated. If people send them directly to me I will
collate and return to the list for comment to reduce traffic.
Regards
Peter MacIsaac
MacIsaac Informatics
Consulting in Health Informatics, Terminology & Data management and
Health Policy.
<mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]>[EMAIL PROTECTED]
0411403462 (mobile)
61611327 (office)
peter_macisaac (skype)
8 Ewart St. Yarralumla 2600
"We trained hard, but it seemed every time we were beginning to form
up into teams, we would be reorganised. I was to learn later in life
that we tend to meet any new situation by reorganising, and a
wonderful method it can be for creation the illusion of progress
while producing confusion, inefficiency and demoralisation."
- >From Pertonii Arbitri AD 66, attributed to Gaius Petronus, a Roman
General who later committed suicide.
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