Comments on: My take: Tort reform, Curt Schilling, e-mails http://www.kevinmd.com/blog/2008/02/my-take-tort-reform-curt-schilling-e.html medical blog Sun, 22 Nov 2009 19:59:44 -0500 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 hourly 1 By: Anonymous http://www.kevinmd.com/blog/2008/02/my-take-tort-reform-curt-schilling-e.html/comment-page-1#comment-83802 Anonymous Thu, 21 Feb 2008 23:19:00 +0000 http://clients.emmense.com/kevinmd/2008/02/my-take-tort-reform-curt-schilling-e-mails.html#comment-83802 Most email programs support inline (e.g., SSL or TLS) encryption, which is sufficient to meet HIPAA guidelines for encryption:<br/><br/>http://library.ahima.org/xpedio/groups/public/documents/ahima/bok1_021588.hcsp?dDocName=bok1_021588<br/><br/>So emailing with patients is simply a matter of education, and is indeed not prohibited by HIPAA. Most email programs support inline (e.g., SSL or TLS) encryption, which is sufficient to meet HIPAA guidelines for encryption:

http://library.ahima.org/xpedio/groups/public/documents/ahima/bok1_021588.hcsp?dDocName=bok1_021588

So emailing with patients is simply a matter of education, and is indeed not prohibited by HIPAA.

]]> By: Anonymous http://www.kevinmd.com/blog/2008/02/my-take-tort-reform-curt-schilling-e.html/comment-page-1#comment-83743 Anonymous Tue, 19 Feb 2008 23:52:00 +0000 http://clients.emmense.com/kevinmd/2008/02/my-take-tort-reform-curt-schilling-e-mails.html#comment-83743 The thing that is asinine about the Schilling situation is that it shouldn't be the team doc's decision or the Red Sox. Schilling has all of the info and presumably a doctor he trusts. The patient should always make the decision on when to operate no one else. The thing that is asinine about the Schilling situation is that it shouldn’t be the team doc’s decision or the Red Sox. Schilling has all of the info and presumably a doctor he trusts. The patient should always make the decision on when to operate no one else.

]]> By: Anonymous http://www.kevinmd.com/blog/2008/02/my-take-tort-reform-curt-schilling-e.html/comment-page-1#comment-83740 Anonymous Tue, 19 Feb 2008 22:54:00 +0000 http://clients.emmense.com/kevinmd/2008/02/my-take-tort-reform-curt-schilling-e-mails.html#comment-83740 "My take: Tort reform begets health reform. If the fear of baseless liability is removed, physicians will be less apt to order defensive tests or reflexively advise patients to go to the emergency room. In a perfect world, costs will be driven down leading to lower premiums for everyone."<br/><br/>Well, if this is true, why not show the proof. Many states already have tort reform. How much cheaper is medicine in California, with truly draconian "reform" as opposed to a state without it?<br/><br/>If you believe this so fervently, why not look at the existing evidence to see if you're correct? “My take: Tort reform begets health reform. If the fear of baseless liability is removed, physicians will be less apt to order defensive tests or reflexively advise patients to go to the emergency room. In a perfect world, costs will be driven down leading to lower premiums for everyone.”

Well, if this is true, why not show the proof. Many states already have tort reform. How much cheaper is medicine in California, with truly draconian “reform” as opposed to a state without it?

If you believe this so fervently, why not look at the existing evidence to see if you’re correct?

]]> By: Doc99 http://www.kevinmd.com/blog/2008/02/my-take-tort-reform-curt-schilling-e.html/comment-page-1#comment-83736 Doc99 Tue, 19 Feb 2008 19:52:00 +0000 http://clients.emmense.com/kevinmd/2008/02/my-take-tort-reform-curt-schilling-e-mails.html#comment-83736 I would not worry about emails' not being reimbursed when phone calls aren't reimbursed either. Physicians' reimbursement needs to be changed from procedure codes to time codes. Physicians' seem to be the only group of professionals not compensated for their time. I would not worry about emails’ not being reimbursed when phone calls aren’t reimbursed either. Physicians’ reimbursement needs to be changed from procedure codes to time codes. Physicians’ seem to be the only group of professionals not compensated for their time.

]]> By: K. http://www.kevinmd.com/blog/2008/02/my-take-tort-reform-curt-schilling-e.html/comment-page-1#comment-83733 K. Tue, 19 Feb 2008 18:15:00 +0000 http://clients.emmense.com/kevinmd/2008/02/my-take-tort-reform-curt-schilling-e-mails.html#comment-83733 What disturbs me more is a reply Tara Parker Pope (the Times Health columnist) leaves in a comment halfway down the page, on 2/18 at 8:35 pm [excerpted]:<br/><br/><b>From TPP — I find your response interesting in light of the earlier comment about the terrible liability doctors take on when they email patients. Personally, I think that’s a copout, but i wonder if that is an issue you have considered or worried about.</b><br/><br/>She doesn't understand or point out in the article that it's not liability they're worried about, but HIPAA. Several other people take great pains to point that out further down the page, but honestly, her comment replies always feel half off the mark like that. I'm not very impressed. Some of the woo-ish positions she's staked out are a bit annoying: my uncle sends out emails about unproven herbal medicines or iridology but he doesn't get taken as seriously as someone writing in the Times Health section. What disturbs me more is a reply Tara Parker Pope (the Times Health columnist) leaves in a comment halfway down the page, on 2/18 at 8:35 pm [excerpted]:

From TPP — I find your response interesting in light of the earlier comment about the terrible liability doctors take on when they email patients. Personally, I think that’s a copout, but i wonder if that is an issue you have considered or worried about.

She doesn’t understand or point out in the article that it’s not liability they’re worried about, but HIPAA. Several other people take great pains to point that out further down the page, but honestly, her comment replies always feel half off the mark like that. I’m not very impressed. Some of the woo-ish positions she’s staked out are a bit annoying: my uncle sends out emails about unproven herbal medicines or iridology but he doesn’t get taken as seriously as someone writing in the Times Health section.

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