In Limbo

Sorry for the lack of posts lately.  Things around the house have been complicated of late.
A few days ago, my dad got sick, and as all of it evolved, I needed to get him to the hospital.  Looks like pneumonia and such (won't get into details) but we got him there before it got too terrible.  Still, it is taking more than a visit to the doctor to recover.  As you would expect, I have been spending my days at the hospital teasing him about the good-looking nurses and helping out when I can, so the boat is in a state of limbo.  I expect he will be home soon, and I will resume work when he is.

Being in the hospital is not something I enjoy.  It's the environment I think.  I don't relish the controlled feel of it.  It has certainly set my designer senses tingling as I watch the way the staff uses machines and interacts with a host of devices.  It's all very clever, but it seems that there is a lack of compatibility between the machines themselves.  Also, the interfaces are cumbersome.  Charting is all electronic now, but data input seems to take even longer and lack any sort of graphic interpretation which makes the whole thing look antiquated.  There is a lot of data taken and it it needs interpretation and monitoring.  There is a meaningful opportunity for a standardized data system and a more user-friendly interface.  Hats off to the nurses et al. who manage to work through all of that mass to get what they need for the proper care.

Anyway, this is just my take.  The staff doesn't usually have time to interview with me, so much is speculation through observation.  I will return this blog to it's regularly scheduled programing soon as I can.

Please Stand By.