Comments on: Monday Morning Update 9/14/09

By: HIT Project Manager

HIT Project Manager — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 16:20:30 +0000

Re: Ex-Cerner guy: “…the client gets to pay for the privilege of giving their data away”. While I suspect that some amount of the contracting discusison on ‘Lighthouse’ was not shared in Ex-Cerner guy’s post, I tend to agree with S. Silverstein in questioning the integrity of those who would sell that which is not *theirs*. This ultimately results in higher costs for all including providers, payors and patients which manifests ultimately in higher taxes. In other words we are subsidizing poor information system design. Unlike S. Siliverstein, I don’t believe we should demonize “IT Professions” anymore than we should demonize all lawyers because some legislate poorly or manipulate the Law. We have great lawyers, great IT Professionals, and “us” Healthcare Pundits need to acknowledge those professisionals can and will navigate us through this very complex time. Let’s not throw the baby out with the bath water…

By: Dierdre

Dierdre — Tue, 15 Sep 2009 02:05:42 +0000

She had easily obtained his full record of his diagnoses and prescriptions by matching the anonymized employee data to a voter database she bought for $20. Only six people in Cambridge shared his birth date, only three were men, and only one (the governor) lived in his ZIP code. That grad student was Latanya Sweeney, now a noted Carnegie Mellon professor and privacy technology expert.

__________________

All of which would be very interesting IF TRUE. Latanya Sweeney hasn’t proven anything concrete. She made an assertion. Supported it with one rigged example and viola, case closed. Now it’s become the she-bible. She is wrong and I aim to prove it. Stay tuned.
Dierdre M., Ph.D. and Carnegie-Mellon alumna.

By: Seeking Truth

Seeking Truth — Tue, 15 Sep 2009 01:01:25 +0000

Working at Epic is begining to sound like being part of the Borg Collective…

By: Reader

Reader — Mon, 14 Sep 2009 23:59:27 +0000

I think Epic simply defines a standard and then honestly tries to stick with it. That applies to so many areas within Epic that it would surprise the average person who’s grown up in a world where people rarely do what they say.

Do you have to kill yourself to work at Epic – nope. Do you have to work hard – yup. Will they ask you to leave if you don’t work hard – yup. Will they ask you to leave if you don’t meet your commitments – yes, and quickly.

I think the people of Epic take a lot of pride in themselves and in their co-workers. When you watch them it is pretty amazing – they depend on each other and they can count on each other to come through on their commitments.

Work ethic is something that is fair to hire for and fair to fire for. The days of feeling like you deserve a secure job or big raises no matter how you perform simply because you’re in the USA are numbered, if not already gone for most.

By: anon

anon — Mon, 14 Sep 2009 20:51:44 +0000

“Like Glenn Beck et al, he is just reporting on rumor.”

Can we drop the ideological bs? Glenn Beck did not make up Acorn tapes.