Publisher Description
A doctor's life gets turned upside by a dangerous new technology in this thought-provoking medical thriller from #1 New York Times bestselling author Robin Cook.
George Wilson, M.D., a radiology resident in Los Angeles, is about to enter a profession on the brink of an enormous paradigm shift, foreshadowing a vastly different role for doctors everywhere. The smartphone is poised to take on a new role in medicine, no longer as a mere medical app but rather as a fully customizable personal physician capable of diagnosing and treating even better than the real thing. It is called iDoc.
George’s initial collision with this incredible innovation is devastating. He awakens one morning to find his fiancée dead in bed alongside him, not long after she participated in an iDoc beta test. Then several of his patients die after undergoing imaging procedures. All of them had been part of the same beta test.
Is it possible that iDoc is being subverted by hackers—and that the U.S. government is involved in a cover-up? Despite threats to both his career and his freedom, George relentlessly seeks the truth, knowing that if he’s right, the consequences could be lethal.
Customer Reviews
Good read.
Enjoyed book. Lots of twist and turns but disappointed with ending. Don’t like being left in the dark…
Review in Progress
I'm about 1/4 of the way through this book and feel compelled to get these thoughts about this book out there. This is a fantastic, while very disturbing, read so far.
The story, as usual with Robin Cook, is drawing me in with his excellent writing obviously based on knowledge about medicine, insurance and intrigue. I shiver with terror to think of an iDoc app on our smart phones which replaces primary care doctors and which was developed by FOR-PROFIT insurance companies controlling patients, determining which ones "cost" too much in the long-run and then "eliminating" the financial risks their insurance companies face now that Obamacare prevents them from canceling the policies of folks who get sick and start eating into the profits too much.
But I became dismayed when the dialogue started suggesting the IAPB, established by Obamacare, might not be too upset with these iDoc "eliminations". Because it would save money and isn't that one of the reasons for healthcare reform? My first thought was "OMG - do not let Sarah Palin read this." Then I laughed because I was worried about Sarah Palin actually reading something. But I'm sure some RWNJs read and wouldn't be surprised to see this book quoted on FoxNews as "there are some who say the IAPB and Obamacare could actually lead to euthanasia of Americans with illnesses that are deemed too costly to treat." Or course, they'll never mention that the fictional doctors and insurance executives in the book actually admit the most efficient way to deliver healthcare to all Americans and cover the cost would be to have single payer insurance, something like Medicare-for-all. But since Obamacare offers lots more customers and lots more profits to insurance companies, they might as well take advantage of it in every way possible.
And that, my friends, is why healthcare does NOT belong in the for-profit arena. Because insurance companies' mission is PROFIT while the government's mission, even while wrapped up in bureaucratic red-tape, is to take care of it's citizens!
Connie Lawrence Goggins
Montevallo, Alabama
Good book
Great book. Enjoyed reading.