REQUIREMENTS FOR A "SMART MEDICAL SYSTEM"

1. Super Computers with software that enables computers to interact with the patient, such as, speech recognition software, pattern recognition software for Webcams, Touch Screen software, keyboard software for data entry. And, most importantly, Quantitative Analysis software that matches symptoms with diseases and prioritize the diseases.
2. Internet web site with web pages linked to the Super Computer.  These pages can interact with Web cameras, Touch Screen TVs, speech recognition, and web page check lists that help the Medical Research Center's computers to identify the patient's symptoms. The patient's computer also has a keyboard,  webcam with microphone, and a Touch Screen TV.
3. Network of doctors, clinics, and research centers that are linked to the Super Computer.
4. Doctor Placement Tests and Facility Evaluations Sheets that correctly place a doctor or a facility.
5. Medical Research Center where scientists, engineers, and mathematicians develop and maintain the "Smart System".  For example, they

• develop and upgrade the hardware and software for the computer program.
• develop and publish the Internet Web pages.
• develop Doctor Placement Tests and Facility Evaluation Forms for precise placement of these professionals.
• analyze and suggest tests, diagnosis, treatments, and doctors for patients with unique illnesses.
• assist clinics and doctors in creating and upgrading their local check sheets, such as, the Patient Progress Form for home care or hospital care and Patient Data Sheets to help the Medical Center's Super Computer's program.

The "smart" medical system works something like this,

1. The patient begins at home with a Computer, Webcam, Touch Screen monitor, and the Internet. First, the patient accesses the Medical Research Center's web site and interacts with the Medical Center's web pages. Perhaps, the Web page will ask them questions and the patient replies. Or, the web page tells them to touch a spot on the graphic on their Touch Screen TV. Or, the Web page tells them to stand in front of the Webcam and point to their body and answer questions. Or, the Web page tells the patient to simply fill out a form on their web page with keyboard or touch pen.
2. After the Medical Center gathers the patient's information, the Super Computer analyzes the data and sends the patient a report which contains tests, diagnosis, treatment, and, most importantly, doctors and health care facilities for the patient to visit (Addresses, phone numbers, fax, email, curricula vitae, and other important information).
3. The patient responds to the questions on this report and sends it back to the computer. The computer then makes an appointment with the doctor or health care facility that the patient chooses and forwards the information to the doctor's office.
4. When the patient arrives at the doctor's office, a technician interviews the patient.  The tech has both the report from the Smart System and a form prepared by the doctor's office. After the interview, the technician combines the 2 reports onto a third form and sends it to the Smart System. Of course, all of this will be ongoing. The Smart System will be processing the information even as the tech interviews the patient. ***
5. The Smart System processes the new data and creates another prioritized list of tests, diagnosis, treatments, and doctors.
6. If the Smart System signifies that everything is correct, the patient meets with the doctor and is treated.
7. However, if the doctor cannot treat the disease, the doctor fills out another scientifically prepared form and enters it into the "smart" system.  Ideally, this new report identifies the illness and the correct doctor. Nevertheless, the process continues until the patients illness is connected to the correct doctor.
8. If, however, the system can not identify the symptoms or find the correct doctor, then the system refers the patient to the Medical Research Center where scientists help the patient.

***  The doctor's form will contain not only the routine data, such as, weight, height, temperature, blood pressure, pulse, history of important illnesses, surgeries, etc, but the technician will also ask specific questions about the patient's illness to make sure that the patient is at the correct doctor.

As I sat in the doctor's office, gazing at the wall, I realized that I was hoping this doctor would help me.  I said to myself, Wait a minute!  Why am I sitting in a doctors office, for the umpteenth time, wasting my time and money, hoping this doctor will help me?  Why can't I know he will help me?

Then, I realized that our medical system is not a “smart” system.  Those giant computers in our finest clinics do not compute. They merely store data.  In fact, the only information we’ll find on their computer is a journal of the doctor’s tests, diagnosis and treatment.

So, I said to myself, Why can't we have a “smart” system like Solomon Brothers or Goldman and Sachs whose super computers match securities with risk and pick the best stocks from around the world?  Why can’t our mathematicians, scientists, and engineers develop a program that enables computers to match symptoms with disease and create a prioritized list of tests, diagnosis, treatments, and doctors?  With this system, we can use home computers and the Internet to solve our medical problems. Never again will we sit in a doctor’s office, hoping for help, because a “smart” system automatically refers difficult cases to research centers where scientists help us.

Eventually, this system will connect doctors and medical institutions worldwide.  Common illnesses will be treated locally and difficult cases internationally.

This is not futuristic thinking.  It can be done today.

Wall Street already did.