Ebola is a nasty disease. But ignorance is worse. If you doubt this statement, take look at film clips from BBC World on the struggle to bring calm, through the use of the evidence, to the many frightened people in West Africa. Why, in America, where we have access to a 24/7 news cycle, has fear taken control of our brains? A recent Wall Street Journal article is a case in point. The article is about the nurse who volunteered to care for people with Ebola in Sierra Leone. It is a disheartening look at what misinformation does to people. It drives politicians to mandate rules so their … [Read more...]
Ebola: Are We Relying on EHR to Tell the Story?
Ebola — this word has its own hashtag, millions of tweets, hundreds if not thousands of articles in the past month, and the power to frighten many people. Fear is playing a large role in how this disease is perceived, which is a poor foundation for managing its spread. Communicating Key Information Electronic health records (EHR) are essential tools in clinical care. When written words in an electronic record become the primary way information is shared among busy clinical staff, I believe we inject increased risk into clinical care. The nation is following the Dallas case almost minute … [Read more...]