President Obama announces new rules for electronic health records

[cal04]

http://thehill.com/blogs/hillicon-valley/technology/74003-obama-announces-new-rules-for-electronic-health-records

Proposed rules and standards for electronic health records technology included in the $787 billion stimulus bill were released Thursday by the administration.

The announcement on the government’s Federal Register website launches a public comment period in which groups representing different facets of the healthcare and technology industries will lobby for changes.

The rules and standards impact not only doctors and hospitals, but companies like Microsoft and Google, which have both developed Web-based software for keeping health records.

(snip)
HHS was required to adopt an initial set of standards for the electronic technology by Thursday. The new rules will go into effect in 30 days, but could be refined based on comments from the public over the next 60 days.

[Oregone]

1. Some IT companies are going to make a fortune on this shit

And years later, the software wont be complete and efficient to use. I guess its just another rock to look under for savings, being that the private overhead boulders are off the table.

[johnaries]

5. Oh, Jesus. Nothing pleases you, does it?

If the world were perfect, you'd bitch because you didn't have anything to bitch about.

[Oregone]

7. Everything that pleases me is "off the table"

[vaberella]

14. You do realize that if single payer was enacted it would probably have used this IT system.

Would you have been upset then?

[SKKY]

12. And they're going to create lots of jobs...

...what's your point?

[cry baby]

2. I worked at a dr ofc with EMR - it was great to work with and much more

efficient than paper. A small EMR company provided the software and support. There are several companies that I am aware of that do that sort of thing.

[MH1]

20. Could you post the name of the software your office used?

Was it a single doc practice or a large practice?

I know a doc with an independent practice who has been having some trouble with this. Unfortunately he's not local to me so I can't help much. I am wondering if it's because he has crap software or what. Anyway if you know anything that's good for a small practice, could you post about it, or pm me if you prefer.

Thanks!

(I am very much in favor of EMR, but am concerned about the burden that might be imposed on independent practices. But I see that as a problem to be solved, not a reason to be against EMR.)

[Cha]

3. Should make life easier

for those concerned and save money too.

[Mojorabbit]

8. I have serious privacy concerns

regarding this.

[THUNDER HANDS]

10. you should

I used to do this a few years ago - input medical records into online databases.

I could have, if I were an evil sort, stolen literally thousands of pieces of sensitive information, include Social Security numbers, addresses, maiden names, ect. I could have made a black market fortune.

[quiller4]

17. All the medical professionals I see are part of Multicare. My endo

brings my records up on a laptop while I'l in his office. He sees the results of all my blood work over the past few months when he reviews my thyroid med dose. All this same info is available to my cardiologist when I'm in his office. When I was in an auto accident, the treating emergency doc knew immediately about my other conditions and the medications I was taking.

I'm grateful for the ready access to electronic records and believe that it helps prevent medical mistakes.

[boppers]

11. HIPPA

Everybody professional worth their salt in the IT field knows all about managing PHI, and that their jobs are on the line if they screw up... we've been working on this since 1996, constantly improving it.

That being said, no system is ever perfect.... a doctor's office can be burglarized, for example, and unencrypted paper records can be stolen. At least hard drives can be encrypted.

[rebel with a cause]

18. Or a doctor can decide to close up shop ...

and burn all their patients medical records. Had this happen to me which was not that bad for me but it was also all my children's records and that was a big deal. There were a great deal of people who were asking WTF.

By the way, this doctor's husband (also a doctor) sent out bills and threatened court action on office bills that were overcharged/not what was understood by patients. I received a bill for a visit that they had decided to charge more than what I had paid. When I tried to protest it, there was no office to contact only word of a law suit they were going to file. I went ahead and paid the fifty dollars.
Geesh, I really liked that doctor (not her husband) and felt so betrayed.

[vaberella]

13. Same for me. They've barely been discussed during or after the debate.

However, to be fair...if you are part of a health insurance company some of our private health care information is already up on the net for public display.

[Mojorabbit]

16. Remember when there was

a string of laptops being lost by credit card companies or was it banks? Lots of personal financial info lost.

My hubby is a family physician and people tell him private things about their personal life. People have affairs, people get stds, people have marital problems, impotence, you name it. Human stuff. Stuff you would never never want see the light of day. He is real leery of putting this info in electronic form. You just know info will be compromised at some point.

[boppers]

21. Encrypted hard drives and networks.

Simple solutions have been worked out. It's more of a matter of education at this point.



edit:typo

[City Lights]

19. Me too.

x(

[progressoid]

4. "different facets of the healthcare and technology industries will lobby for changes."

Oh, I'm sure that will work out well. :eyes:

[bigdarryl]

6. Can you say JOBS JOBS JOBS!!!!

[timeforpeace]

9. A brilliant move by President Barack Obama.

[mucifer]

15. IT's a great idea for people's safety. communication is very poor in the heath care

industry.