Uncle Sam, listen to your doctors

     An American health care plan is going to happen, even if it continues to change form, so let's set the table for a few immediate improvements.
     Close to the top of the list of criticisms of a public health plan is that it will put government between the doctor and the patient. Well, I am an experienced and veteran consumer of health care, so I can testify that we have had insurance companies getting between the doctor and the patient for a long time, so maybe we can make some improvements.
     And government is already meddling, even to the point of telling doctors they can't complain about unreasonable regulations and requirements in creating a paperless records system, for fear of being charged will collusion.
     Bringing primary and specialist care providers to the table on records keeping, or any other interaction with patients, is not collusion. It's good medicine.
     I've had several doctors complain to me that the use of computers to eliminate paper records turns them into clerks, and the thing they hate most about it is, they have to turn their backs to the patient to face the keyboard of their laptops.
     I know one doctor who carries his laptop around the office, in and out of exam rooms, in the crook of one arm, while his fingers tap the keys with the other. He might have experience playing the fiddle. But that's a bit much to expect of those who are just barely computer literate.
     Did anyone ask doctors about the rules for the paperless plan? No. Some geek in the IT department of a federal office came up with it and say that's the way it's going to be. Anyone who works for a large firm with an IT department guru making dictates like some Wizard of Oz knows what I'm talking about.
     If it's health and medicine we're trying to fix, let's listen to doctors, their office clerks, and patients, then require the geeks to program a system that serves that objective.
     While you're at it, Uncle Sam, toss out that ridiculously constrictive HIPPA thing that allows drug companies, insurance companies, and the government to know all about my medical records, but won't let a lab send results to any doctor other than the one who requests the results.
     Common sense, please, Uncle, or let the Republicans have their way and turn it back to big business marketing policies favoring the insurance and drug companies over doctors and patients.