Posted 11.14.2012 at 12:54 pm
4 Comments
iPhone 4
John Mahoney
The App Store is filled with health apps and most of them are garbage. At least, that seems to be the overarching sentiment running throughout the Washington Post’s extensive examination of bogus health-related apps now cluttering both the iTunes App Store and Google Play. Key statistic: ”Of the 331 therapeutic apps, nearly 43 percent relied on cellphone sound for treatments. Another dozen used the light of the cellphone, and two others used phone vibrations. Scientists say none of these methods could possibly work for the conditions in question”. You don’t say. Read the whole story over at Washington Post.
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While the app store may be filled with bogus health apps, your local doctor and hospital is filled with bogus health apps too.
Examples:
No insurance when I was unemployed. Went to Dr for a cold. Cash charge - $109. Once I had insurance and I went to the same doctor for a different cold. They billed the insurance company $320. Pretty bogus health app.
Go to the grocery store, pick up a 150 tabs of acetaminophen, $5.99. In the hospital the nurse brings you 1 tab of acetaminophen, $75. Bogus app.
Blood clot, rush to the hospital, end up paying $8000. What you didn't know is the 4 other facilities nearby would have only set you back $4000. Biggest bogus health app - you can never price your services... you cannot shop around. You go to a doctor/hospital and blindly pay whatever they charge. No other good or service works this way.
And this is what is wrong with healthcare in the US. You blindly pay whatever they charge, and if you are insured you are paying at a ridiculous mark up.
Well then i vote we create a website dedicated to just this. Price shopping for doctors as well as the quality of service!
I use Triage! It is helpful enough for me. Everything else is just a novelty.
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