Comments on: A Summary of the National Research Council Report on Healthcare IT

By: Jason Maude

Jason Maude — Thu, 15 Jan 2009 17:50:52 +0000

This was a great and much needed report. Today the NEJM published results on the cheapest and most effective piece of cognitive/decision support ever-a surgical check list.This A4 piece of paper led to a 40% reduction in deaths and a 1/3 reduction in complications!
However, the comments on the press coverage across the world have shown understandable public amazement that it has taken till 2009 for the value of check lists to be appreciated in medicine. The obvious next question from them will be in what other areas of medicine, such as diagnosis, should they be used if they aren’t being already.

By: Alex Scarlat MD

Alex Scarlat MD — Thu, 15 Jan 2009 01:44:36 +0000

We should commend this excellent and timely report from the prestigious NAS as well as the great summary provided by Mr. HIStalk. I could not agree more with both.

The report is short (100 pages), it can be downloaded for free (after registration) and it is amazingly courageous in stating the obvious facts that most of us, the Healthcare IT veterans – know for years. It is an analysis of the current situation (whether we like it or not) and a great one at that.

I would propose to take the report and derive from it a MANDATORY CHECKLIST for healthcare organization, hospitals, private practices as well as the vendors – when assessing and / or contemplating investing diminishing resources on an overpriced and under-performing HIT product.

As a minimum – we should see this report as a wake-up call for all of us.
Kudos on a great job !

By: MM

MM — Mon, 12 Jan 2009 17:34:38 +0000

“Lots of talk, for a long time, but whose gonna force this change?”

You and me and others that live this day-to-day in the trenches deliverying services to healthcare providers. Every chance you get explain the need for innovation and simpler, more nimble software. At the same time deliver it at every opportunity.

Look for innovative solutions. Build them yourself if you have to. One step at a time.

By: Mr Obvious

Mr Obvious — Mon, 12 Jan 2009 17:06:43 +0000

one more…

Some bias was obviously introduced upfront when choosing the committee members, the site visits, and the guests providing briefings (the “smart table” and Azyxxi-like analytical tools obviously were inspired by Microsoft, which did one briefing).

http://blogs.wsj.com/health/2008/12/19/how-microsoft-plans-to-make-money-in-health-care/

By: Lazlo Hollyfeld

Lazlo Hollyfeld — Mon, 12 Jan 2009 07:33:48 +0000

Design systems with disruptive change in mind, i.e. genomics, which are more easily supported with connected systems rather than monolithic, integrated, all-encompassing systems.

I was amused by this comment. Just what kind of disruptive changes are they talking about (e.g., clinical, administrative, ???) and why are we always so concerned about what is over the hill instead of fixing/improving what we already have around us.

Genomics is probably the latest and greatest example of something that will likely have no/minimal impact on the practice of medicine for the near future (say 15-20 years), yet we should be focusing meaningful resources on it.