It’s the information age. Computers and smartphones have taken over our lives. Now, AI is hot on the scene, with threats to even end our lives.
What I wonder about often is why I need to keep filling out health forms for doctors? I fill them out and they’re stored somewhere. It’s O.K. to update them except when I’m asked to do it on my phone. Asking senior citizens to deal with the small type and the cumbersome keyboard of a smart phone to fill out a complicated form is wrong.
Often, I’m asked to fill out a new form for a doctor’s office after I’ve filled out one in the past. Why? Do the doctors even read them?
One time I went to see a neurologist. He asked me a lot of questions, many of which I’d answered on a form. I asked him about it and he said he didn’t see the form I filled out. What?
Tuesday, I’m going to see an ear, nose, and throat doctor. The office threatened me, saying if I didn’t fill out the form before the appointment, the appointment would be canceled. That means seniors don’t have the option of filling out the form in the waiting room if they don’t have a smartphone or computer. I’ve been to their office at least twice and have already filled out the form.
I just received a text from ear, nose, and throat doctor’s office. They want me to set up an account in their patient portal. Maybe that means I won’t need to fill out the form again.
The Harvard Health website says you may need to fill out new medical forms because:
- The health care provider might want an update, since information such as medications or new health problems can change over time, or you might have missing or inaccurate information in your record.
- Different specialists need to know about different aspects of your health.
- Your electronic medical record at one provider’s office might not be accessible to others because practices don’t always have compatible computer software.
- Some practices don’t want to rely on records created by other practices. They may not trust that they’re accurate.
Anyway, it’s irritating to fill out forms over and over.
Friday I have annual preventative visit and a Medicare Annual Wellness Visit with my general practitioner. I have a whole packet of forms to fill out. One form is called the Adult Patient Information Form. It asks for my name, address, phone number, email, marital status, race, insurance information, emergency contacts, and more. This is all information that’s in the computer.
I called my doctor’s office to ask why I have to fill out these forms. The receptionist said the forms expire every year, so I have to fill them out yet again.
