ehr

As many of you know, I am on the CCHIT Child Health Workgroup, which has been both a delight and an exercise in futility.  The focus and capability of the folks on that committee is intimidating, to say the least...but, sadly, we have not met since last September, if I have my dates right.  Everyone - especially CCHIT - expected them to be named the one-and-only certification body for all things EHR, but that never materialized and now many of us are wondering what to do.

I remember, quite clearly, the CCHIT committee conference call where I learned the truth.  "I'm sure there are sources for alternative growth charts.  I've seen them with my own eyes," I said as Dr. Marcus tried to convince me otherwise  I couldn't believe that the well-known, non-standard growth charts - for Downs children, preemies, etc. - weren't readily available for use in an EHR.

But they weren't.  And aren't.

Check out my new favorite toy:

What's More Profitable: Demonstrating Meaningful Use or Managing Your Productivity?

We continue to get daily calls and requests for information about the ARRA funding.  We were even told by a potential client that they went with a well-known (but little liked) vendor now in order to maximize their ARRA $$, even though the money itself may be a mirage and they don't even know what their state is going to do. 

Big sigh.

Buried, which seems to be my status since August.  Some interesting items:

I don't like to think about the blog on weekends - hey, we're busy preparing for Nowruz! - but I saw this post from Dr. Russell Libby and had to share it.  I wish I had thought to do a similar calculation, but the credit goes to him:

I've had a lot of surprisingly hopeful emails hit me referring to all the "free money" docs expect to get as a result of the Obama stimulus package.  Put your cynical hats on, folks, because if you think that the HIT-driven stimulus money as it's designed right now is going to benefit you or your patients, you are mistaken.

As you may know, I am on the CCHIT Child Health Workgroup.  My participation is related, I believe, to my criticism of the certification and it’s misuse.  But if you’re not part of the solution, y

With the Obama administration arrival only a few weeks away, the discussion about CCHIT’s long-term viability is starting to heat up.  Even though I am on the Child Health Workgroup and appreciate the effort and intelligence of the civilians working with me, I still have grave concerns about the process and it’s effect on EHR development.  I’m sure it has benefited any number of physicians, but in the sphere that I work in (private pediatric offices), all it has really done is increase costs and eliminate vendors.