Comments on: Monday Morning Update 3/1/10

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Wed, 03 Mar 2010 03:03:34 +0000

I [Sen. Grassley] have been surprised by the lack of discussion about patient safety concerns … they [clinicians] tried raising their concerns to hospital administrators and/or to the HIT vendors, but told me their concerns were often ignored or dismissed.”

Really? Whoda thunk it?

Re: Mr Histalk’s modest proposal to improve HIT patient safety in hospitals … as much as the IT people have the organization’s best strategic interests in mind

I think many have their own interests in mind, and those who think they have the organization’s interests in mind are deluded, not being medical types. Good intentions don’t count in medicine. Outcomes do.

By: Michelle W

Michelle W — Mon, 01 Mar 2010 15:06:21 +0000

Thanks for posting the link to Sen. Grassley’s letter; between this and the FDA’s rumblings last week, it looks like federal regulation of HIT could become one of this year’s big stories. It will be interesting to see how these concerns are balanced against ARRA. And have fun at HIMSS, the rest of us are looking forward to hearing about it!

By: Suzie, RN

Suzie, RN — Sun, 28 Feb 2010 19:20:44 +0000

Ohio State Doctors have been sold a bill of goods.

The report states:”Right now, the physicians’ group – called OSU Physicians – is not electronically connected to the university’s medical center.

Other than that, patients shouldn’t notice a change, officials say.

The arrangement will make Ohio State a powerhouse when negotiating contracts with health-insurance companies.”

Patients should’t notice a change. officials say. They also say that no patient ever suffered an adverse event from an EMR. How do the officials know? They are neither the patient nor the physician.

Many patients have noticed a difference, such as exploring the back of the doctor’s head or looking over the computer screen, if they survive certain hazzards and electronic failures with these systems.

By: thejudge

thejudge — Sun, 28 Feb 2010 15:31:43 +0000

Your blog continues to yield helpful ideas, but this one is overly optimistic: “let clinicians appoint a committee of nurses, doctors, and pharmacists (and any other caregivers you like) to independently make decisions about user IT communication, vendor priorities, and training needs, all with no IT people in the room and no IT veto power. ” It iss encouraging that you have recognized the deception and manipulation and invasion of medical care by “those who are receiving vendor kickbacks or those who have no day to day interaction with “the system” who buy the new system simply because there is another core system from the same vendor so they get a price cut”, according to Dr. T. Grassley has done the vendors a favor. Hopefully, they amd Lieber, and friend, Sebelius, will answer truthfully and not go to jail.

By: Dr T

Dr T — Sat, 27 Feb 2010 23:26:31 +0000

regarding “my modest proposal to improve HIT patient safety in hospitals: let clinicians appoint a committee of nurses, doctors, and pharmacists (and any other caregivers you like) to independently make decisions about user IT communication, vendor priorities, and training needs, all with no IT people in the room and no IT veto power.”
Right on! I can’t tell you how many-no-EVERY decision made in my organization is made by those who are receiving vendor kickbacks or those who have no day to day interaction with “the system” who buy the new system simply because there is another core system from the same vendor so they get a price cut. Get your kickback prize, get it implemented no matter how poorly, and get out. No responsibility afterward from the decision makers. Some poor chump in the receiving department or IS minion takes all the crap thereafter.