Archives Index, 2020 April
30 April 2020 — 2331 mdt
The scandal of the data sharing barriers
built into our electronic health records
The United States does not have a national database of health care information comprising the data collected by hospitals and other heath care providers. Why? Because hospitals and the software shops that design electronic health records system oppose standardizing data formats and fight federal attempts to bring order out of this chaos.
Hospitals do not want the government to have information that could be used to red flag medical deficiencies at their institution. The software shops want to design systems that are unique and thus immune from comparisons using standardized data.
Both Obama and Trump failed to compel the software shops and hospitals to knuckle under and to supply EHR data in a standard format that is stored in a national database, designed for mining by researchers (and regulators).
23 April 2020
Flathead Memo is standing down for a few days
Thus far, Flathead Memo’s staff has steered clear of the Wuhan (Covid-19) virus, mostly by becoming a recluse, paying close attention to Gov. Bullock, and paying no attention to President Trump. But other exigencies have arisen, some related to my health, and dealing with them requires all of my time and strength. I’ll return to blogging when I’m able. Thanks for reading Flathead Memo. I’ll be back when I can. Take care of your selves, wear your masks, and vote for and give money to candidates who believe in public health. — James Conner10 April 2020 — 1413 mdt
Bullock’s fast action slows virus’ spread
Montana’s Covid case rate is approximately
one-fourth of the national case rate
Montana’s rate of 32.6 confirmed Covid-19 cases per 100,000 persons is 23 percent of the national confirmed case rate of 140.3 per 100,000 persons.
These rates were calculated from data downloaded this morning from the Montana Covid-19 website and the Covid Tracking Project. The population estimates for April, 2020, are based on the U.S. Census Bureau’s intercensal estimates. Download 2020 estimate for USA & states. Dowload 2020 estimates for Montana and counties.
8 April 2020 — 1307 mdt
Help save your checkout clerk’s life:
wear a mask, any mask, while shopping
Masks mandatory in Los Angeles
LATimes, 8 April 2020. Effective Friday, Los Angeles residents must wear a mask, bandanna or other type of covering over their noses and mouths when in grocery stores and other essential businesses under an order from Mayor Eric Garcetti. Workers at many businesses must also cover their faces.
Some of the bravest and most frightened people in our nation are our fellow humans who work the checkout stations at supermarkets and other essential businesses that must remain open during the science fiction nightmare in which we now are living.
We need to keep these workers, and fellow human beings, alive. That’s both in our enlightened self-interest to survive, and a fundamental moral obligation members of a species owe each other.
One thing we all can do is wear a face mask while shopping. Although only N95 masks intercept particles as small as viruses, even cloth masks made from high thread count pillowcases attenuate the spread of virus laden aerosols discharged when one sneezes or coughs, or even when one shouts loudly.