EHR, National Health Database, Confidentiality, and More

It has been quite some time since I have made an entry to this blog. My only excuse is that I have been writing and ranting elsewhere and neglecting my self-imposed responsibilities here. I have several concerns with such things as the EHR and its apparent imposition upon us by "bigger" business, the creation of a national health database, the security of anything posted to or transmitted on the web, conflicts between "national security" and net neutrality, and more. I have collected information on these topics, but never quite gotten around to compiling it into coherent posts. In all liklihood these subjects, though interrelated, will be dealt with separately or will intertwine without full explanation as a series of posts.

Until I am able to begin this series, I will leave you with a poem written by a humanistic psychologist. I ran across it in the Psychotherapy.net News newsletter. While you're there, sign up for their free monthly e-newsletter:

EMPIRICALLY VALIDATED PSYCHOTHERAPY
(A POEM)

What works in psychotherapy?
That's far beyond the likes of me.
I've only practiced fifty years,
and still am plagued by doubts and fears.
I muddle on and try my best
to aid my clients in their quest
for ways of being more alive,
somehow in spite of all to thrive.
I wish I knew the right technique
to give them more of what they seek.
The mystery of change persists


unsolved by dogged scientists.
I hope that they will soon impart
quick ways to heal a broken heart.
My efforts stagger, balk, and lurch
unguided by precise research
to tell me how to ease life's pains,
and thus flawed intuition reigns.
Pray science soon will guarantee
sure cures for human misery,
but meanwhile I'll do what I can
without a validated plan.

- Tom Greening

http://www.psychotherapy.net/announcements/Dec08.html

Peace, Doc

Copyright (c) 2008, Thomas A. Blood, Ph.D.