Monday, January 22, 2007

Edmonton aims to screen all for diabetes

I don't know if making diabetes a reportable disease is of any real benefit. It's not like it's a communicable disease and others are at risk. The whole concept seems like to evoke shades of Big Brother. Why stop at diabetes? Maybe the next step is to start a database on every disease group. If you see your doctor and have a high blood pressure reading, are they going to have to report you? What about starting a list of obese people? They are at future health risk just like diabetics. I think that one would be challenged in court about five minutes after it was instituted.

From CBC News:
A new diabetes screening program in Edmonton goes further than any other in North America, effectively making diabetes a reportable disease.

Under the program, whenever someone in the city visits a doctor, hospital or walk-in clinic, their blood-sugar information is recorded in a central database. Edmonton's Capital Health Region plans to use the information to identify and treat anyone with diabetes or at risk for the disease. ...more

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