My Doctor is on the grid…

I am on the plane from sunny Florida, delayed due to another snow storm, watching a woman reading her Kindle, and thinking about some of the paradigms in today’s medical electronics.

At my last check-up with my General Practitioner, the nurse entered the room with a small laptop which transmits my information to the database.  I stepped on the digital scale (this scale tells lies by the way) and my temperature was taken by a digital thermometer.

My GP downloaded information from a specialist through the secure PACS system to culminate with the epiphany that I need to: lose weight, eat better, exercise more and reduce my stress level.  All that technology to state the obvious!

This does bring up the question as to at what point does electronification and telecommunication replace the physical doctor/patient relationship?  Does this information set the stage for healthcare providers to electronically monitor behaviors and prorate coverage based on this behavior?

I guess I will have a salad today for lunch…