Modern medicine

The other day I needed to see a doctor to get a prescription renewed, so I headed over to Samsung Medical Center. A co-worker had been there and highly recommended it, so that's where I went. I definitely recommend the International Health Services at Samsung Medical Center.

Back in the States, my doctor still has paper files. Huge, thick, cumbersome paper files. And every time I go, the new nurse practitioner can't find what the old nurse practitioner had ordered. Here, the doctor had 3 monitors on his desk, with easy access to databases to look up medication and other stuff, plus my open file. As he asked me questions, he entered the information into my file. He ordered an endoscopy for me. He entered this into my file. I left the room. All the information he entered was available for the scheduler and nurse. They didn't have to wait for a piece of paper, they didn't have to wait for him to come back and confirm anything. It was all right there.

So last Friday I came back for my endoscopy (which is a painless procedure -- the only thing that hurt was the IV when they put it in my hand). I checked in with the International Health Services desk, then a volunteer came and escorted me to the appropriate part of the hospital. When I was done, I went back to the International Health Services office. All the information from the endoscopy was right there in my file, on the computer screen. I didn't have to wait for that doctor to mail my regular doctor a report, and then for my regular doctor to find the time to call me with the results, or send me the little postcard that says "Results Normal". It happened right there.

And the best part, the entire endoscopy cost me less than $300 USD.

Oh, and by the way, I'm fine.