Health Care Happenings

Here’s a question to consider — How much confidence do you have in Congress?

There’s been a lot happening on Capitol Hill these last couple of years. The down turn in the economy, industry bailouts, passing of national health care reform, and rise in unemployment, always looming Medicare/TRICARE doctor payment cuts and the list just goes on.

Gallup just released its 2010 Confidence in Institutions poll and finds Congress comes in last place — yes, you heard right, that’s last place out of 16 institutions.

The poll (Congress Ranks Last in Confidence in Institutions) showed:

11% of Americans say they have a ‘great deal or quite a lot’ of confidence in Congress. (Last year’s rating was 17%)”

…Underscoring Congress’ image problem, half of Americans now say they have ‘very little’ or ‘no’ confidence in Congress, up from 38% in 2009.”

The Military continues to rank highest of all institutions, a trend that goes back to 1998. The institution has been #1 or #2 since the poll began in 1975.

Americans ranked Small Business #2 and the Police as #3.

The Medical System came in at #5, four points higher than last year.

Just slightly behind Congress were Health Maintenance Organizations (HMOs), coming in next-to-last place at a 19% confidence rating, one percent higher than the year before.

So, what do you think about Congress?

Imagine if you will, a time where an appliance or gadget tells you it’s time to exercise, or that you are taking in too many calories, or warns you that your stress level is too high and it’s time to do something about it.

We see smart phone technology evolving beyond just making a mere phone call, to being a device or a gadget increasingly integrated into our daily lives—to some, we can’t live without them.

“Within a decade or two, researchers at Silicon Valley companies and elsewhere predict, consumer gadgets will be functioning like hyper-attentive butlers, anticipating and fulfilling people’s needs without having to be told. Life would not only be more convenient, it might even last longer: Devices could monitor people’s health and step in when needed to help them get better, states The Seattle Times article titled, Smart gadgets may anticipate our needs?”

Humm, I vaguely remember this being said about technology simplifying our lives decades ago—saying something like technology will give us more time to do the things we want.

Are you like me and waiting for that to happen too?

There are those who say these smart gadgets will be able to read people’s emotions, mood swings, or that household appliances will have humanlike personalities—maybe even serving as ‘artificial companions’ for elderly and lonely people.

Certainly the proliferation of computerized devices is exploding in the health care industry, like in other markets. The article discusses one initial application of the technology will likely be monitoring the elderly in their homes.

Researchers say they are already applying the technology in smart pill containers to detect the onset of dementia—the container records whether the person is taking their medication and has motion sensors that check if the individual’s walking and dressing habits have slowed down (potential early signs of the condition).

The military is even eyeing the possibilities of such technologies—

“assistants for commanders that can reason, learn from experience, be told what to do, explain what they are doing, reflect on their experience and respond robustly to surprise,” states the article.

Experts say smart houses with these devices, smart companions and other applications still have a ways to go before all the bugs are worked out. But, gee, we can dream can’t we?

Then there is always a down side to every up side.

There are some who have concerns about protecting the privacy of information that will be collected on individuals—fearful that the more data collected on people the more the government will want the information.

Oh yes, then there are those who wish to get their hands on the personal information so they can make a profit at someone else’s expense.

Lots to ponder!

              Are we smart or what–isn’t technology great?

What do you think—what a smart house or smart companion?