news
Free software can strengthen the US healthcare system
Quoting: Free software can strengthen the US healthcare system —
Few people who have interacted with the US healthcare system can report a stress-free and cost-effective experience, no matter as a patient or provider. The reasons for the anemic healthcare system are broad, including the high cost of care and insufficient number of medical practitioners. Other problems are less quantitative, like increasing distrust in providers and treatments and limited preventive care. Free software, such as GNU Health (a free software hospital management information system), has the power to alleviate some of the problems present in the US healthcare system.
The perception that profitability outweighs patient interest, as well as leaking of healthcare data to companies like Google, among other factors, have led to a 31.4% drop in trust in healthcare providers. Some of this distrust can be blamed on a lack of transparency, which free software can greatly help with. When medical practitioners use tech that runs on free software, their patients can be much more confident that the software works in their best interest. You can examine (or ask someone else) if the health record management system or telehealth software is built in consideration of your health instead of profit margins.