Posted by laima on July 20, 2006, at 15:23:59
In reply to computer recommended drugs » laima, posted by pseudoname on July 20, 2006, at 15:01:50
That machine sounds like a pretty good tool, I now have to admit. Especially since it is about add, a disorder which some doubt even exists. (What human can claim to never have been distractable at times?) I like the sounds of it! Hope it helps people.
> > Thank you for taking the time to discuss.
>
> Gosh, thanks for telling me.
>
> > The part I'm still a tad suspicious about is regarding the specific drugs it recommends.
>
> At least as far as this computer program goes, it doesn't recommend any drugs. It's pretty limited in what it tells, which is just how "alert" or "focused" (in specific ways) a person was when he took the test.
>
> One doctor might look at the results and say, "Well, you need Ritalin." Another might look at the same results and the same patient and say, "You need Wellbutrin" or whatever. Another might say the guy needs no medicine.
>
> But, at least with the computer test, when the patient comes back a month or two later and he says, "I don't know if I'm really doing any better at focusing" or whatever, the doc could give him the test again and compare scores and say, "Nope, it doesn't look like we're helping you focus. We should try something else."
>
> Well, that's an ideal use, I suppose. It might be very easy to start relying too much on the scores and forget to talk to the patient.
>
> I have very bad insurance ($4,000 deductible), so if a doc charged for this test, knowing what I know from the salesman, I don't know if I would pay to take it. I might just tell him my scores from computer chess.
poster:laima
thread:664760
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20060717/msgs/668638.html