[sumo] (Slightly OT) Japanese medical system (was: Asashoryu Likely Return To Mongolia)

[Judith Douglas]

I never said he was not a sport professional.  I said that in order for 
confidential health information to be disseminated there should be 
consent from the person whose personal medical information was being 
made public, regardless of whether or not he/she was a sport 
professional.

I spent a week in Japan in 2000 training and lecturing nurses and 
doctors who had just embarked on a heart transplant program which would 
include children (that was my area of expertise).  I was impressed with 
their clinical skills and found that although patients stayed in the 
hospital longer,  they were much better prepared for discharge to home. 
  I am well aware of the high cost of health care in the US, and have 
personal political views which are at odds with the US health care 
system.

I was not commenting on heath care in Japan.  I was expressing concern 
and dismay that there seems to be nothing of substance in place as it 
relates to the rights of patients to keep their health care information 
private and secure when their consent to release this information has 
not been obtained.   The absence of consent is the same as no consent, 
so if a patient is not competent to provide consent, there is no 
consent.

So if I am in Japan,  I would hope I had a medical/surgical problem 
that would not be newsworthy.  On the other hand,  I would not want to 
be giving birth to conjoined twins, since I would be first page on 
Wai-wai.

I have great respect regarding the general health care system in Japan.

Jude O'Malley Douglas (Huzayomama)





On Aug 21, 2007, at 2:12 AM, Clay Holden wrote:

> On 8/21/07 2:13 PM, "Judith Douglas" <jdouglas at nyc.rr.com> wrote:
>
>> Football players or other sports professionals who are injured must
>> agree to have their information disseminated publicly.   It's apples
>> and oranges.
>
> I might have foolishly assumed that Asashoryu was considered a "sports
> professional"... ;-)
>
> As for treatment in Japan, when my wife and I were in Kyoto on our 
> honeymoon
> five years ago, I had to go to the hospital for emergency treatment of 
> a
> cyst that blew up like a balloon under my arm.
>
> The form I had to fill out at the Emergency desk asked whether I was 
> there
> for consultation or surgery. In the US, I would certainly have checked
> "consultation", but my wife told me, no, you are here for surgery.
>
> So I went and sat in line for about 20-30 minutes, at which time I was 
> seen
> by a surgeon, who explained (in quite serviceable English, 
> incidentally) to
> my wife and me my condition and the procedures he would need to 
> perform,
> provided local anesthesia, and performed the required surgery on the 
> spot. I
> was provided with instructions, prescriptions, and discharged. In and 
> out in
> roughly an hour total.
>
> My wife and I were quite concerned with the cost, because, although I 
> had
> quite good insurance in the US, I had none in Japan, and we expected 
> quite a
> hefty bill.
>
> The total for diagnosis, surgery and anesthesia: ¥8500, or roughly $80 
> US.
> The remainder of our visit, I had to visit a clinic each day to have 
> the
> dressing changed. Total for each of those visits: ¥1000, or < $10 US.
>
> Can you imagine what an uninsured Japanese visitor might have had to 
> pay out
> of pocket for similar services in the US?
>
> Anyway, absolutely no disrespect to the US medical system (I had to 
> undergo
> double-hernia surgery in recent months, and have nothing but praise and
> respect for my surgeon), but given the choice, I might well prefer to 
> face a
> medical crisis in Japan than at home.
>
> Best regards,
>
> Clay
>
> _______________________________________________
> Sumo mailing list
> Sumo at webtrek.com
> http://www.webtrek.com/mailman/listinfo/sumo
>