.. _intro:

Introduction
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Healthcare IT is complex and difficult to navigate.

There are many challenges.

Data is decentralized, each hospital or payer has its own IT system hosting all the data.
This data is not shared with anyone, not by default.

As patients, we experience it every time we go to a new doctor (a.k.a. "provider"). We have to enter same information (allergies, medical history) over and over again.

This means that the medical provider you came to see most likely knows nothing about you if you are a new patient.

Wouldn't it make sense for a specialist to have access to your medical records stored with your primary care provider? It's possible but not easy.

And then there is a financial side of healthcare.

Your doctor ought to be able to translate each and every detail of their interaction with you into a set of "codes".

Our society likes promulgating the notion of our uniqueness. Every person is a snowflake. Perhaps. But not in a healthcare setting.

Your visit will most likely start with the code "", office visit under 15 minutes.

Unless you have a high blood pressure, in which case it is probably going to be "Most recent office visit systolic blood pressure <130 mm hg"

This simply covers your doctor's time

This e-book was written for IT professionals, not for politicians.

IT means a lot to healthcare and we would even go as far as saying that IT, not politicians, it the only chance to improve healthcare in US.

We outght to be able to peirce through the jargon, gatekeepers

AI can't function without data

15 min office visit provides no meanigful data points