When computers first made their appearance in our commercial establishments, I was one of the old fuddy-duddies who said they'd never work. How could a computer figure out the price of a product faster and more accurately than a human person with a high school education?
As you know, I was really wrong. I was very wrong. I was totally wrong. It wasn't long before schools and business offices and professional institutions began to use computers. And computers got better, faster, more accurate.
One of the last professions to adopt computers was the medical profession. Just a few years ago when you went to the doctor for your annual physical, he/she would check you over closely, ask you various questions and make notations in your file which sat on a little desk or in his/her lap. You'd get kneaded and prodded and poked and rubbed and when it was over you'd go to the front desk and pay your bill.
Nowadays, when you get to the doctor's office, the nurse comes in, turns on the computer which is hanging from the wall or the ceiling, and while inputing your information, asks you a few questions, takes your blood pressure and temperature.
If you have any new complaints the computer lights up and starts clanging and banging and the nurse starts typing madly. Nah, I just made that last part up. But when the nurse is done you are told the doc will be right in. These people should be politicians the way they lie.
After an hour or two the doc rushes in the door, says "Sorry, I'm so late," and sits down in front of the computer, checking what the nurse inputted, and then says, "Any questions? OK, you're looking good. See you next year."
You walk out the door and go home. Two weeks later a bill arrives in the mail, somehow ejected by a computer into a mail slot where it is then picked up by a postal service employee and sent via a computer modified vehicle to your house.
10 comments:
Just as long as the computer's not the one telling you to have a nice day.
It's too bad the doctor still arrives late and spends less time with you. Some things don't change and the bill keeps going up for less time.
The changes in our lifetime are incredible!
At the pace with which technology is moving it wont be long before the visitors will be taken care of by robots!
I have a love-hate relationship with my computers and iPhone. The pluses are numerous just as the minuses are legion. I won't bore you with my lists; however, the biggest plus IMHO is that I have gotten to know (and actually meet!) a number of you people that i would not even know existed without our new technology and computers. Life is good!!
That does sum it up quite well. The only difference here is that the computer is on wheels and the doctor and nurse both roll them into the room for the exam. Also, I don't get the bill part any longer. (thank goodness for that.) Yesterday I had an appointment with the dermatologist and they were using iPads!
I've noticed that on a computer terminal there seems to be a little more likelihood that whoever's seeing me has some current information in front of them. Nobody pawed through my paper file in the old days, despite some considerable effort to increase its size and complexity with every visit. (By the way, my hubby is reading Thomas Friedman's latest book "Thank You for Being Late" and is wowed about the technological changes Friedman talks about. Hold onto your hat.)
True story
MB
It's only a matter of time before computers take over the world 😀
Yup. So funny, so true! Most of our visits are just like that. But Bill has one Specialist who brings a transcriber into the exam room to do the computer transcribing as he does his thing,.
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