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There are vast differences in the access, quality, cost and extent of
healthcare in the 25 Member States of the EU. Regulations affecting
qualifications, training and registration of health professionals vary
from one Member State to another. Regulations for manufacture and sale
of medicines show marked differences. Patients have little knowledge of
their illnesses and they rely on their Doctor’s judgement – a judgement
that is often made without diagnostic tests. Doctors cannot access data
on new patients or updated information on availability of specialist
consultants and hospital beds.
Appropriate EU guidelines must be established for availability of
detailed information on chemical constitution of medicines, efficacy,
toxicity, contraindications, dosage, availability and cost that can be
readily accessed on the internet by patients and doctors. Safeguards on
patient’s privacy; authenticity and validity of consultation; accuracy
in dispensing of prescriptions and verification of patient identity are
some aspects requiring new EU directives. The EU needs legislation for a
“virtual” primary healthcare system to ensure the highest minimum
standards for its citizens wherever they may be in the EU.
A medical diagnostic machine
(MDM)
- the size of a 50cm Television screen – mounted as a standard fitting
on the bathroom wall has a digital camera, phone, email, and ports for
diagnostic testing of body temperature, blood pressure, blood and urine.
The MDM digital camera can take high-resolution pictures of skin or
other body parts. It allows instant transmission of data to the family
doctor’s surgery and the local hospital emergency centre. The MDM, owned
by the medical insurer, is regularly serviced for inputs by service
contractors
The body temperature, blood pressure, blood and urine analysis data are
electronically transmitted to the diagnostic laboratory of the hospital
where it is analysed by a team of consultants who can diagnose and
prescribe appropriate medication and treatment. The diagnostic test
results, diagnosis, the prescribed medication and treatment data are
recorded electronically in the patient’s database with the family
doctor. The patient can sweep his EU health card through the MDM to
update it to reflect new data.
The prescription is emailed to the appropriate manufacturer of
medication for delivery by courier to the patient, complete with
instructions for dosage, storage and an explanatory note of tests and
the nature of the illness. In case the patient requires hospital care,
then he is informed of the hospital and consultant who can receive him.
In an emergency, an ambulance is alerted so that it can take the patient
away. Payment for services is made by the medical insurer who identifies
the patient’s cover, receives and records all data on the patient’s
database.
All of us, with our health card and pin number, can use these MDMs
wherever they are situated – in offices, factories, shopping centres,
schools, clubs and hotels. Therefore, even when we are away from home,
travelling in our own country or in the EU, we can access in a medical
emergency our medical data to allow those who can help us immediately.
The MDM offers the prospect of a “virtual” primary healthcare as visits
to both family doctor and pharmacist would be unnecessary for most
illnesses. It would offer substantial savings for government health
budgets struggling with rising patient expectations and ageing
populations. Governments could offer fiscal incentives to citizens to
secure private medical cover i.e shift the burden of risk from the state
to private insurers. The private health insurer would outsource services
for information technology (IT) and pay for patient treatment by
doctors, pharmacies and hospitals. Patients with health cover would seek
the best doctors, consultants and hospitals. This would encourage
competition and force government hospitals to apply private sector
discipline to employment, management of resources and marketing their
services. Standards of clinical care would rise and there will be no
waiting periods for surgical treatment. The healthcare profession would
once again attract and retain well qualified nurses, pharmacists,
doctors and surgeons. |
