Better
Computer Use Could Enhance Health
The growth
in computer use over the past few decades has changed
the way we live, often for the better. Most
of us now have easy access to options previously unavailable.
That’s expanded our horizons.
But computers also threaten to change the way we think,
which would be a negative development. That’s because
computers cannot think in the nuanced way that people
do, although there are commendable efforts to move them
in that direction. It would be a mistake, though, for
us to attempt to meet them halfway.
From the computer’s perspective, everything is
binary. That means either/or, odd/even, black/white.
It has difficulty handling things in the middle like
shades of gray. It lives by rigid rules (ultimately created
by human programmers) and tends to create new ones.
|
|
Jessie
Gruman
President
and Executive Director
Center for the
Advancement of Health
|
So
a crude computer can tell you, knowing nothing
more than your gender
and height, that it is prudent to consume 2400
calories a day, but excessive to eat 3000. And
while that may be a valid general rule, it ain’t
necessarily so for any individual.
This presents a continuing challenge for the health
behavior community. On the one hand, computers
are a wonderful tool that works cheap. You can
reach millions with an online test at a fraction
of the cost of face-to-face interviews.
But the binary focus of computers makes them a
blunt tool, probably useful at sorting people into
broad groups, but quite limited when it comes to
analyzing their particular problems and coming
up with appropriate responses.
Computers can tell us what portion of our population
is overweight and what part of that group is obese,
which helps analyze the dimensions of the problem.
But beyond giving the most general advice (eat
right, exercise more), it cannot (yet) generate
prescriptions that individuals can rely on.
Simply knowing someone’s ZIP code is sometimes
adequate for determining whether there are affordable
health clubs in their neighborhood. But even that
is a very broad cut. Telling someone who’s
juggling two full-time jobs to get the health club
more often probably isn’t terribly helpful.
In my ideal world, computer and human skills would
complement one another. Computers could alert us
to possible problems and refer us to people to
who could evaluate the severity of the threat and
suggest a response. In an environment where individuals
are given increasing responsibility for their care,
computers can provide counsel on when it’s
appropriate to consult a higher authority with
human intelligence.
We don’t live in such a world yet and there’s
no reason to believe that it is just around the
corner. There’s a lot of chatter about coming
up with computerized medical records that would
basically help us care for the sick more effectively.
We need a program to educate the public about using
computers to help decide whether and when they
need medical attention. That could create a more
efficient system for the majority who are generally
well.
 |
|
The Health Behavior News Service regularly distributes
stories summarizing new research on health behavior
issues. These stories can be found online at http://www.cfah.org/hbns/current.cfm.
Here
are some stories released in November:
Pneumococcal Infection Rates Drop, Despite Uneven Childhood
Vaccination
Since its addition to the list of routine immunizations, one childhood vaccine
has helped prevent some pneumococcal- related illness, including pneumonia and
otitis media. The percentage of children receiving pneumococcal vaccines is rising
steadily. But fewer than half of children receive the immunizations according
to the recommended schedule.
Education Gap Associated With Higher Death Rates Across Ethnic Groups
New research suggests that about 215,000 fewer Americans would die each year
if they had the same death rates as college graduates.
Smokers Who Quit Have Less Money Stress
There are many health benefits of quitting a smoking habit and a new study has
proven that quitting can benefit your pocketbook as well.
Linking Doctors’ Pay to Performance Has Little Effect on Diabetes
Outcomes
Linking doctors’ pay to how well they follow treatment guidelines can improve
quality of care but not health outcomes, according to a study of 1,666 poor,
uninsured patients with diabetes.
PET Scans Useful for Some Cancer Treatment, But How Do Patients Fare?
Positron emission tomography or PET scans can help clinicians diagnose and treat
some cancers, but it is not clear yet whether the imaging technology helps people
with cancer live longer and healthier lives.
Obesity, Smoking, Alcoholism Escalate Costs to Military Health Plan
Diseases caused by obesity, tobacco use and alcohol abuse account for a whopping
16 percent of the $12.8 billion that the military’s managed-care plan spends
annually on the health of the nation’s defenders under age 65 and their
dependents, according to a new study.
|
