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The author presents a compelling argument for the use of computers for initial diagnosis and assessment, treatment decisions, and for self-care, research, prevention, and--above all--patient empowerment.
Slack first examines how computers in medicine have affected patients, showing how, contrary to all fears of the '50s and '60s, the computer has been a tool for humanizing medicine. The Internet has brought patients together into online help groups. Information about medical matters, once handed down to patients from on high (if at all), is now available to anyone who learns the fundamentals of a search engine. And even in treatment itself, preliminary interviews through computer forms have made patients feel more at ease, led to greater insights, and evoked feelings of being more in control. Slack explains how computers have allowed doctors to network, gain quick and easy access to all the latest technical information, and review medical information.
Slack's conclusion is that the medical world needs more computers, but he tempers his enthusiasm with caution regarding the challenges of maintaining confidentiality. Slack writes without a trace of ponderousness and with refreshing common sense. His emphasis on the patient as an intelligent human being rather than as an object to be treated is uplifting. Not only should all doctors, patients, and health care administrators read this book, they should discuss it with each other.
?The influence of the computer on medical care is just starting. Cybermedicine is the most current and complete guide for the layman or professional.? —?Dean S. Edell, M.D., medical journalist
"For all computer-savvy health professionals--and of considerable interest to consumers involved in today's online health revolution." —Tom Ferguson, M.D., author of Health Online
"A superb balanced overview of the remarkable contributions in medicine and health that computers have already made to patients and physicians alike, and of the even more remarkable contributions to which we can look forward from a pioneer in the field, who is responsible for many of the good things that have happened." —Howard H. Hiatt, M.D., professor of medicine, Harvard Medical School, former dean, Harvard School of Public Health
?This highly readable book should attract anyone interested in the computer medical revolution that is called Cybermedicne.? —?Alvan R. Feinstein, MD, Sterling professor of medicine & epidemiology, Yale University School of Medicine
"Makes a well-reasoned case for the increased use of computers, both to enhance what doctors do as well as to help patients become more informed, and, in some cases, to assist in their care." —Diane Eicher, Denver Post
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Good material; not constructive re: medical bureaucracy,
By A Customer
This review is from: Cybermedicine: How Computing Empowers Doctors and Patients for Better Health Care (Hardcover)
This is a book I looked forward to with much anticipation upon hearing about it. I am highly interested in the area of medical informatics, and the book gave an excellent summary of Dr. Slack's very interesting, personal experience with the introduction and advancement of computers into the field of medicine. The tone of the writing is not at all dry, and it was a very pleasurable read. I particularly enjoyed the way Dr. Slack emphasized the fact that if a system really WORKS, people will use it. Computer "literacy" and phobia are not issues if the system actually makes work easier. If a system is not adopted, then the user is not to blame, the designer is.My one criticism of the book is that towards the last third of the book, the author writes a lot about why computers have failed at some institutions. Though my gut feeling is that much of what he writes here is true (and from the clinician's point of view, it may appear this way), this last section of th! e book was entirely too negative, and had the tone of venting anger. The purpose of this book seems to be education, and this "demonization" of the admin definitely oversimplifies the situation, and does nothing for the reader. He reduces the problem into a lazy, self serving administrator standing in the way of the noble, idealistic clinician and engineer. It would have been better to examine the facts of this problem a little more closely in order to see how the "self-serving" attitude of administrators might be guided towards implementing good computer systems. As I said before, I share Dr. Slack's personal regard for many administrators, but this extended venting served no purpose. Though I have the single criticism of it, I still highly recommend the book. Dr. Slack has clearly been a pioneer in this area and has a unique perspective on computers and medicine, which he shares very well.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Excellent, good points about patient empowerment,
By Thomas Munnecke (San Diego, CA) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Cybermedicine: How Computing Empowers Doctors and Patients for Better Health Care (Hardcover)
Generally a good book, explains a lot about the author's history. Good points about patient empowerment. Very important points about use of e-mail in clinical settings. I'm a little more cynical about the use of direct computer-patient dialog for clinical information (One such system once told me that I was suffering from premenstral tension...it forgot to ask my sex.) Would like to have much greater focus on the future, however...incidents from the 1960's and 1970's are not all that relevant today.
5.0 out of 5 stars
Not a technical book, but a very good book anyway.,
By Mario Valdez "MV" (Mexico) - See all my reviews
Amazon Verified Purchase(What's this?)
This review is from: Cybermedicine: How Computing Empowers Doctors and Patients for Better Health Care (Hardcover)
If you are a medical informatics professional, you may enjoy reading this book. However, please note that this is not a technical book about medical informatics. This is a book about the why's of the use of computers in medicine and the why's of the failures in the implementation.The title say it all, it is a review about how computers should be used to empower the users (patients and health care workers). This book is for medical doctors, nurses, therapists, managers, and engineers working in a health organization. Sometimes the tone is too negative, but I think the goal is to make sure you don't fall in the same traps Mr. Slack has fallen in the past. Also, sometimes it feels too biased toward the doctor and patient, leaving everyone else as evil entities. (But that's my personal feeling, maybe it is not that biased or negative). Recommended for all health workers (so you get the idea if your IT department is doing its job), for managers (who can check ways to improve the IT services) and for IT workers (who can check if their objectives are not only aligned with the organization's goals, but also to check if you are giving a good service to the final users [the patients]).
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