SENATE BILL: Healthcare Modernization Act of 2013 (Passed)

[Sopranos Republican]

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Sponsor: Senator Maxwell on behalf of the administration.

[Maxwell]

Tomorrow someone will have to take it over (probably Yanks), but I will let the administration speak on behalf of this legislation.

[Fmr. Pres. Duke]

It's pretty simple. My administration believes that this bill will not only streamline and simplify our healthcare system, but it will save us billions of dollars a year that we can better spend in other areas of our economy. Right now administrative costs are in the billions of dollars, and that can be avoided if we start implementing this soon. It also cuts down on the risk of losing records because everything will be electronic.

If SoIA superique has anything to add, I would be happy to hear from him.

[DC Al Fine]

It's pretty simple. My administration believes that this bill will not only streamline and simplify our healthcare system, but it will save us billions of dollars a year that we can better spend in other areas of our economy. Right now administrative costs are in the billions of dollars, and that can be avoided if we start implementing this soon. It also cuts down on the risk of losing records because everything will be electronic.

If SoIA superique has anything to add, I would be happy to hear from him.

I'd just like to point out that a similar system was implemented a few years ago in my home province. While it does reduce administrative costs in the long run, there's a bit of an increase in the first year or two while everyone gets onto the system. This should be accounted for in the budget.

[tmthforu94]

I am supportive of this legislation, and urge the Senate to quickly pass it.

[President Tyrion]

I support this. Small amendment.

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I'm pretty sure that just storing data in different places is not enough, and I'd venture that no one on this forum is enough of a security expert to legislate a secure network (and it would probably take pages of technical writing), so we can delegate it in theory to Superique's underlings.

[Sec. of State Superique]

I would like to thank Assemblyman DC's complements and I would totally support Senator Tyrion amendment. Even so, I shall say that I'm no expert on technological security as well and all I will probably do is a small piece of roleplaying explaining the measures that I've decided to take in order to provide more security for the system.

I would like to add Mr. Duke speech by saying that this legislation also provides more tools for disease control. With this modernization action, the Center of Disease Control will be able to track epidemic diseases and find out where it started. Furthermore, this legislation was carefully made in order to make sure that personal data is protected.

However, I would be lying if I tell you guys that this bill is perfect, I would ask you guys to add, if possible, on Section II a clause punishing individuals that hack the medical data from others. I know that Section II.1 tries to deal with that, but maybe we should have another clause to talk about individuals that try to pick information of other people.

[Southern Senator North Carolina Yankee]

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Sponsor Feedback: None Given at Present
Status: Vote tomorrow morning after two if none is given.

[tmthforu94]

I will assume sponsorship for the administration.

[President Tyrion]

I would like to thank Assemblyman DC's complements and I would totally support Senator Tyrion amendment. Even so, I shall say that I'm no expert on technological security as well and all I will probably do is a small piece of roleplaying explaining the measures that I've decided to take in order to provide more security for the system.

For the record, I don't expect you to actually have the technical expertise. I just delegated it to your office because your cabinet department is the appropriate one. You could theoretically even ignore it if you wanted to, from a game dynamics perspective.

[Southern Senator North Carolina Yankee]

The VP may call 48 hours on objections to Senator Tmth's assumption of sponsorship.

[Sopranos Republican]

Senators, you have 48 hours to raise objections to Senator Tmth's assumption of sponsorship.

[🐒Gods of Prosperity🔱🐲💸]

Electronic medical records sounds like a great idea, but a lot of times it ends up meaning doctors spending less time listening to and treating patients because they are busy trying to enter data into a computer program. And a lot of times those program's entry forms are codes that do not lend themselves to nuanced assessments of the patient's condition.

[President Tyrion]

Electronic medical records sounds like a great idea, but a lot of times it ends up meaning doctors spending less time listening to and treating patients because they are busy trying to enter data into a computer program. And a lot of times those program's entry forms are codes that do not lend themselves to nuanced assessments of the patient's condition.

What? The info needs to be recorded somehow, and typing it is faster, more efficient, and more communicative than writing it.

And, why assume that the forms cannot be freely filled?

[Fmr. Pres. Duke]

Electronic medical records sounds like a great idea, but a lot of times it ends up meaning doctors spending less time listening to and treating patients because they are busy trying to enter data into a computer program. And a lot of times those program's entry forms are codes that do not lend themselves to nuanced assessments of the patient's condition.

We are going to move in this direct eventually, so I think it's best to begin implementing it now. All fields are doing this to reduce costs, better organize records and better guard against disasters - the legal field included.

I understand where you may be concerned, but this change is inevitable down the road. The medical community will adapt, and I am confident this change wouldn't lead to a degradation of quality. But of course, I cannot predict the future anymore than you can.

[🐒Gods of Prosperity🔱🐲💸]

Electronic medical records sounds like a great idea, but a lot of times it ends up meaning doctors spending less time listening to and treating patients because they are busy trying to enter data into a computer program. And a lot of times those program's entry forms are codes that do not lend themselves to nuanced assessments of the patient's condition.

What? The info needs to be recorded somehow, and typing it is faster, more efficient, and more communicative than writing it.

And, why assume that the forms cannot be freely filled?

It is not more communicative for the doctor to be facing a keyboard and computer screen rather than their patient during a consultation.  My perspective both as a patient and as someone with a doctor in the family is that asking doctors to become computer data entryists and IT specialists is problematic. That is basically what this amounts to, in practice. User-friendly technology that would allow patient consultation to develop in high quality, personal ways isn't there at this point. That is a good enough reason to hold off on any mandates for its adoption.

Also I am very concerned about the idea that we are placing medical data on a card. That is a huge privacy risk.

[President Tyrion]

Electronic medical records sounds like a great idea, but a lot of times it ends up meaning doctors spending less time listening to and treating patients because they are busy trying to enter data into a computer program. And a lot of times those program's entry forms are codes that do not lend themselves to nuanced assessments of the patient's condition.

What? The info needs to be recorded somehow, and typing it is faster, more efficient, and more communicative than writing it.

And, why assume that the forms cannot be freely filled?

It is not more communicative for the doctor to be facing a keyboard and computer screen rather than their patient during a consultation.  My perspective both as a patient and as someone with a doctor in the family is that asking doctors to become computer data entryists and IT specialists is problematic. That is basically what this amounts to, in practice. User-friendly technology that would allow patient consultation to develop in high quality, personal ways isn't there at this point. That is a good enough reason to hold off on any mandates for its adoption.

Also I am very concerned about the idea that we are placing medical data on a card. That is a huge privacy risk.

People carry credit cards just fine. Considering there are WAY more back end protections than credit cards (only doctors may access it, and would face stiff penalties for misuse), I don't see a real issue with having the "cards".

With that said, there's also NO indication that the cards themselves need to have any sort of data on them other than name, because technically they could just be access keys and the information itself would be in the database architecture of the system. With software defined networking coming to the forefront, I don't even think there's much chance of a centralized network breach, either.

And doctors carry clipboards all the time, and write down stuff all the time. Is it any different to have them type? It isn't 1990; they don't need to be even tied to the terminal. They could input data on their phone, a tablet, whatever. Plus, is a terminal so intrusive? And let's not assume that the virtualization itself isn't user-friendly; why would it be? Healthy skepticism is fine, but we're designing the system. Why just assume that it will be terrible, based on no actual evidence that it might? Lots of medical companies already deal in computing, and have tons of user-friendly database designs. I'm a little sore on this point, because my cousin actually runs a startup to that end, and, looking at his product, it's insane to me that we could remotely consider that user "unfriendly". The technology exists for it, and has existed for it for years. Furthermore, I am also a patient and I also have a doctor in the family, and I would much rather have my records computerized.

This all just strikes me as negativity for its own sake.

[🐒Gods of Prosperity🔱🐲💸]

I realize that any dissent from unlimited faith in technology is just considered negativity these days, but I have to try. Things that you might consider user friendly are not the same that an elderly or middle age doctor would consider user friendly.   We are talking about more work for doctors, more expense, more early retirements at a time where we already have a doctor shortage.

[Southern Senator North Carolina Yankee]

There is another day (bit less than day) on the sponsorship change.

Then we will need the new sponsor to judge the amendment previously offered.

[President Tyrion]

I realize that any dissent from unlimited faith in technology is just considered negativity these days, but I have to try. Things that you might consider user friendly are not the same that an elderly or middle age doctor would consider user friendly.   We are talking about more work for doctors, more expense, more early retirements at a time where we already have a doctor shortage.

I don't think you need "unlimited faith" in technology to see the strength of computerization and data centralization in such a case. Hell, an incredible amount of data is fudged because of poor handwriting alone, and that's not to mention the massive divides created by keeping medical records firmly in hard copy format.

You expect doctors to lose jobs, but for them to have more work?

The one thing I can agree on is that this will certainly incur a short term infrastructure cost.

[🐒Gods of Prosperity🔱🐲💸]

I realize that any dissent from unlimited faith in technology is just considered negativity these days, but I have to try. Things that you might consider user friendly are not the same that an elderly or middle age doctor would consider user friendly.   We are talking about more work for doctors, more expense, more early retirements at a time where we already have a doctor shortage.

I don't think you need "unlimited faith" in technology to see the strength of computerization and data centralization in such a case. Hell, an incredible amount of data is fudged because of poor handwriting alone, and that's not to mention the massive divides created by keeping medical records firmly in hard copy format.

You expect doctors to lose jobs, but for them to have more work?

The one thing I can agree on is that this will certainly incur a short term infrastructure cost.

I expect doctors will voluntarily leave the profession because they are overwhelmed by IT duties.

[President Tyrion]

I realize that any dissent from unlimited faith in technology is just considered negativity these days, but I have to try. Things that you might consider user friendly are not the same that an elderly or middle age doctor would consider user friendly.   We are talking about more work for doctors, more expense, more early retirements at a time where we already have a doctor shortage.

I don't think you need "unlimited faith" in technology to see the strength of computerization and data centralization in such a case. Hell, an incredible amount of data is fudged because of poor handwriting alone, and that's not to mention the massive divides created by keeping medical records firmly in hard copy format.

You expect doctors to lose jobs, but for them to have more work?

The one thing I can agree on is that this will certainly incur a short term infrastructure cost.

I expect doctors will voluntarily leave the profession because they are overwhelmed by IT duties.

Form-filling on a laptop is as much an IT duty as form-filling on paper is a secretarial duty.

[Southern Senator North Carolina Yankee]

Matt you can end that sponsorship process and declare Tmth the new sponsor.

Senator Tmth can go ahead and judge Tyrion's amendment as friendly or hostile also.

[Fmr. Pres. Duke]

The fact remains that this is coming whether we try to stop it or not. Like the legal field, things will continue to evolve. A clipboard and paper is not going to last forever. My administration's rationale is to implement this so we can start saving money now rather than waiting until we are behind other countries.

The argument that older doctors will struggle so we need to simply not do it is not a valid one. If it was, we'd never see progress due to fear of upsetting the older generation.

[Senator Spiral]

Shua is rightly concerned about what may happen with the transition to electronic records. We should make sure above everything that we have the safeguards in place so that such a system will be effective.