I had a check-up with my cardiologist today. This, by the way, is something baby boomers and an increasing number of Gen Xers need to do. Me, because I have a bit of heart disease in my family history, and well, because I can.
Both my GP and my cardiologist say things like, “There are some risk factors you can’t do anything about: your age, your genes and sex.” For some reason when my (female) cardiologist – we’ll call her Doctor P cause that’s what her surname starts with – says that, at some level, I always snigger. I know she means gender.
Anyway, the other factors are behavioural – exercise, diet and not doing dumb things like smoking.
So this tech savvy blogger is in the office of the office waiting for Dr P, and it occurs to me that my consultation will be more valuable if she has ALL the latest information. Like the results of the recent blood tests ordered by my GP.
So I mentioned this to the receptionist / office manager thinking “she can probably access it online, or the pathology company can send it electronically…”
Not so. Amidst the technology available to the leading edge of cardiology (and I mean everything that goes beep and scans for tiny little defects of the chest region) accessing blood tests over a secure session on the Internet has a way to go.
Almost to my joy and with some sense of nostalgia, the information was retrieved from the pathologist by way of a personal phone call and a subsequent fax.
My consultation went well. Thankfully, I’m in the low risk area. I DON’T SMOKE. Age, gender and genetic disposition allowing, this correspondent will be around for several Internet generations.
Meanwhile, I will discuss with the bride what we can do about the sex thing.
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