Oliver Frank wrote: >> >> Given this interest in starting a new enterprise I was wondering >> whether it is possible that this group could identify the 5 most >> important things that they feel a “system” would have that would make >> them want to use it. > > Dear Geoff, > > Three things that I believe would improve general practice would be: > > 1. An agreed way of structuring clinical and billing data that allows > GPs to use any clinical and billing packages they want with the same > dataset. That is, if I want to, I can use Genie for my first > consultation today, Profile for the next and Medical Director for the > third. They all read from and write to the same dataset. This would > allow GPs freedom to change easily from using one software package to > another as they wish. Oliver is dreaming of GP nirvana. It's good to dream but I think this particular item is fantastic (as in the stuff of fantasy). I cannot see how the proprietary vendors would agree on a base structure. It would be like having all your email data on a server and then using an email client:- Outlook, OE, tbird, sylpheed, mutt, webmail to retrieve, filter and process that data. Oh wait, I think we can do that.
> 2. All forms that outside agencies like Centrelink, driving licence > authorities, etc. want us to complete for patients are available > either online via the Web, and are populated automatically from the > information that we already have in in our clinical record (which we > can edit in the online form as required) OR are generated > automatically from within our software package (for example, like the > South Australian Prescribed Medical Certificate for Workcover claims) > and able to be emailed securely automatically. It is important that > these agencies do NOT ask repeatedly for information that is static > and not going to change, for example, the patient's date of birth, or > the nature of their permanent disability e.g. blind from birth. So kind of like a web service where their server queries your server and all the fields are auto-populated and a form is thrown up for the doctor to complete the fields with missing data. You'd have to think it would be worthwhile for the government to fund such an undertaking. Perhaps in their laissez-faire way they think the "market" of government run agencies will cause the most successful form to emerge. Some government departments are very hip and provide their forms on line in pdf format. This is a madness, as Ken would say. While it is not strictly true, they say they like pdfs because they are unalterable. It is certainly difficult to alter them while largely retaining the original structure, but that's what we want to do. We want to complete an electronic copy, preferably automatically from our databases, and send it to them in any way they want. At their end this is probably still paper or it could be an electronic pdf or it could just be an HL7 CDA document processed automatically by their computers. It's been a long frustrating business trying to wean the Feds off paper but I do get the feeling that the day of electronic exchange of data is closer. > 3. A method of providing test results to patients automatically e.g. > by the patients being able to access their electronic medical record > and read our comments and advice about the results. Medicare needs to > fund our costs in providing this service - that is, payment for our > time spent writing our comments and advice. I can't see this one Oliver; the funding, not the service that is. I would think you already make comments and provide advice on test results. This is either a revenue stream (by making the patients come back for the results) or a cost (by getting your secretaries to make your comments/advice known to the patients). I gather you're going to do authentication at your end and not wait for some national e-id system. It shouldn't be too hard. You'll need their email address and to generate an initial password for them at the surgery. They say in linux everything is a file. In ruby everything is an object. In rails, everything is a web page. Add in this plug in authentication and you're away. Speak to Horst. David
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