Letters to the Editor

Medical Missionaries and What They Get Out of It

■ Your June Viewpoint, “A Mission That Benefits Doctor and Patient Alike” brought up a lot of memories. Our organization is a self-funded group of eye MDs, technicians and others who have been going to Guatemala on a medical mission for the last 15 years.

We provide medical and surgical eye care for the indigenous Mayans north of Quiche in some fairly remote areas. One of our most dramatic cases was that of a 70-plus-year-old woman who had been born deaf and mute who had bilateral white cataracts. Just trying to imagine how cut off from the world she was made all of us count our blessings.

We did one of her cataracts, and all 24 of us gathered around the next morning for the unveiling. When she looked around with a big smile on her face, there was not a dry eye in the house. I get teary now just remembering.

I'm sure all of us who do medical missions in all medical fields will recognize the truth of my technician's answer (during an interview) to the question, “Why do you do this?” She said, “Because I get more than I give.”
—Frank Read, MD President, Project Guatemala Portland, Maine Projectguatemala@maineeyecenter.com

The ‘Slippery Slope’ of EHR Into the Mediocrity of Medicine

■ I read your July Viewpoint, “EHR: A Cautionary Tale,” with much interest, as I do all the articles regarding EHR. I am a solo practitioner who employs two part-time optometrists and one medical ophthalmologist.

I purchased a practice in 1997 and then bought out the other retiring partner six years ago (back when it was still feasible to purchase practices). I have charts dating back to 1971, and the practice has a great documentation system that makes the charts easy to use. Last I checked, no one went blind because a physician would not tap into some massive EHR system within minutes.

My point is this: It has completely baffled me after reading article after article regarding the nightmare of EHR that everyone is bending the knee and just accepting their fate. Physicians used to be a brave lot, but I have to wonder now. No one can truly prove to me the improvement in the quality of care, at least not in ophthalmology (which, of course, is what this is supposed to be all about). At what point did we all agree to give up our autonomy and bow to the government?

Now it is clearly too late. I understand that I will be forced to purchase a product I do not value, see no need for, and will have absolutely no impact on the care of my patients. I am just so very frustrated that when we had the power to say NO — a very simple NO — the powers that be basically said, “Yes sir. May I have another?“

This slippery slope into the mediocrity of medicine makes me both angry and sad.

—Kimberly Wise, MD Norman, Okla. kimwise23@yahoo.com