ZorroCard Round Up (9/15/24)

Hey all,

Today’s round up covers one of the main corrupting influences of US healthcare, Epic Systems. Read Cory Doctorow’s piece to find out what happens when healthcare delivery is dictated by billing software. Enjoy the round up!

Jacob Brody (Co-Founder & CEO, ZorroCard)

Pluralistic (Epic Systems’ Impact on U.S. Healthcare): In his latest piece, Cory Doctorow criticizes Epic Systems, the dominant electronic health record (EHR) provider in the U.S., for prioritizing profit maximization at the expense of clinical care. Epic’s software, widely disliked by physicians for its bureaucratic burden, is lauded by hospital administrators for facilitating “upcoding” — a billing practice that inflates costs for routine care. Doctorow argues that Epic’s monopoly contributes to inefficiencies and rising healthcare costs, highlighting the need for antitrust action to improve the system. Full Article

Knowable (Why a Diabetes Drug Fell Short of Anticancer Hopes): Metformin, a widely-used diabetes drug, initially showed promise as a potential treatment for cancer, spurring significant research. However, recent clinical trials have largely failed to demonstrate any significant anticancer benefits. While metformin remains affordable and safe for treating diabetes, its hoped-for impact on various cancers has not materialized. Full Article

Healthcare Huddle and (Are Continuous Glucose Monitors Worth It for Non-Diabetics?): Continuous glucose monitors (CGMs), while invaluable for diabetics, may offer limited benefits to healthy individuals. The article details Dr. Jared Dashevsky’s positive personal experience with CGMs, including his evolution from doubter of CGMs for non-diabetics into a happy user. However, over-monitoring glucose in healthy people could lead to anxiety or disordered eating habits. More evidence is needed to justify CGM use for general health tracking. Full Article.