Blogger Fred Pennic writes a review of the (HIMSS) Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society 2008 Book of the Year Award. The book is entitled Keys to EMR Success: Selecting and Implementing an Electronic Medical Record and is written by Ronald Sterling, CPA, MBA.
There is no question,” says Sterling “that the selection and implementation of an EMR is a ‘bet-the-practice’ proposition. If you fail, you end up with more costs and greater frustration.…” (emphasis added)
The real question that Joe the Doctor is asking himself is “…’scuse me, but WHY am I being forced to bet-my-practice on an EMR in the first place? I’m not a gambler.”
The problem here is not in health information technology (HIT) per se, but in conceptualizing EMR 1.0 as an all or nothing proposition…pass vs. fail, white vs. black, bet the practice and win vs. bet the practice and lose.
This is exactly why a modular and incremental approach to HIT — clinical groupware, EHR 2.0 — makes more sense than the monolithic bet-the-practice approach of EMR 1.0. Physicians shouldn’t have to bet-their-practice on EMR implementation success.
Article Series - The Dog Manifesto: A Disruptive Innovator's Guide to Health IT
- Will HITECH Lead to Innovation? The Continuing Cat/Dog Dialogue
- Dogged Optimism: Five Innovative Aspects of HITECH
- Feline Foot-Dragging: Three Non-Innovative Aspects of HITECH
- Wait and See: What’s Unclear or To-Be-Determined (TBD) About HITECH.
- Can Cats Think Outside the Box? Here’s a Role Model.
- Stand for Quality Group: “Link HIT Investment to Quality Improvement”
- EHR 2.0: Thinking Outside the Cat Box
- Stunning Announcement: AMA Goes to the Dogs in Deal With Physician Web Portal Company
- Markle v. HIMSS: Differing Views of “Meaningful Use” and “Certification”
- Time for EHRs to Become Plug-and-Play
- Blueprint for Change: From EMR 1.0 to Clinical Groupware (EHR 2.0)
- Joe the Doctor: “…’scuse me, why do I want to bet-my-practice on an EMR?”
- RHIOs Emerging From Coma
- HIT Policy Committee Recommends “Minimum” Certification of EHRs
- PR Blunder of the Year: Federation of American Hospitals Says Meaningful Use Should Not Tie to Quality Improvement
- The Third Rail in HITECH Implementation: “Please Don’t Make Us All Speak Latin”
- Senator Grassley: You’re on Track About EMR Problems, But Here Are Some More Questions to Ask
- John Halamka’s Stunning 180: “Dogs and Cats Should Live in Harmony”
- Feedback Rolls in on Halamka’s New Stance on Standards: Cats Pissed, Dogs Thrilled
Discussion
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