Cell by Robin Cook
Robin Cook has picked some timely healthcare-related topics--HMOs, the relationship between doctors and pharmaceutical companies--and spun some thought-provoking tales. Cell is no exception. The premise is that a mega health insurance company comes up with a way to use cell phones to serve as primary care physicians. The phones can monitor things such as blood pressure, glucose levels, strep infections and the like, order prescriptions, and advise the patient on the next steps to follow. The patients love having someone available around the clock to provide medical advice and doctors like not having to deal with all those pesky patient phone calls. But you can see the potential for misuse of the technology, especially with a health insurance company in charge.
George is a radiologist whose fiance dies suddenly. Then a neighbor dies. And patients he has done radiologic studies on. They were all very sick but not near death and he begins to wonder what's going on.
And wonder if this new cell phone technology might somehow be involved. It's a fascinating premise and quite the page-turner. My only quibble is that, for someone who is smart enough to be a radiologist, George has no common sense. You'd think if you had doubts about a technology that is on line to be a veritable gold mine for investors, it might be wise to be cautious about sharing your doubts, especially when you're a little light on proof. But not George, he just spews his thoughts to pretty much everyone who crosses his path.
And gets other people involved to help him, without considering that he might be putting them in danger.
Still and all, it is a provocative concept and a good read.
George is a radiologist whose fiance dies suddenly. Then a neighbor dies. And patients he has done radiologic studies on. They were all very sick but not near death and he begins to wonder what's going on.
And wonder if this new cell phone technology might somehow be involved. It's a fascinating premise and quite the page-turner. My only quibble is that, for someone who is smart enough to be a radiologist, George has no common sense. You'd think if you had doubts about a technology that is on line to be a veritable gold mine for investors, it might be wise to be cautious about sharing your doubts, especially when you're a little light on proof. But not George, he just spews his thoughts to pretty much everyone who crosses his path.
And gets other people involved to help him, without considering that he might be putting them in danger.
Still and all, it is a provocative concept and a good read.
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