Hi Charlie, I agree with you. I think that something needs to happen at Meditech to stop bugs from getting into your system. Usually the process is that the programmer makes a change and sends it to the customer service rep. The rep is supposed to test this change in your test system on site. They are supposed to test EVERY routine that this DTS effects. It's one thing that never happened at Meditech when I was there. At MSM we tested everything. If we found a problem, we would send it back to the programmer, they would make a fix and we would have to test all routines again. When we where sure this worked we would move it to the customer directory (TEST).
This is where the customer could make a huge difference. Ask your customer service rep for a list of routines that your DTS affects. Once you get this, test every routine in your TEST system. Do not let Meditech move this DTS live until you are sure it works perfectly. If they have to make another change in TEST, test all the routines again. It's a pain, but at least you'll get something that works in LIVE. I have to say that probably 90% of my customers at Meditech NEVER tested DTS's in TEST. They said that their TEST and LIVE systems don't match. Well, that's not true. Programmer will NEVER put something directly into your live system. They alway put all programming changes into TEST first. Of course the data isn't that same, but for testing purposes, you can make it the same. Yes, it's time consuming, but this is how you find out if a DTS works in your test system or not. Personally, I thinks it's worth it. That's probably the only advice I could give you as far as not letting bugs get into your live system. Unfortunately, I don't think Meditech will every change. I wish I could help you out some more! Thanks, Mary Everett > I couldn't agree more. I have had a programming course and know how >complicated it is (it is the toughest course that I've ever had and believe >me, if you've had organic chemistry, you know that programming must really >be tough if it is tougher than organic chemistry). What I was trying to say >in my message is that there is an insufficient amount of QA going on at >Meditech to allow these many bugs to make it to the end users. That is where >pharmacists (or other specialists in the other modules) can help. > I have suggested numerous times that a core group of super users be >able to dial into Meditech, access a test version, and be able to put any >enhancements or fixes through the testing mill and see what happens. I would >volunteer my time as I am sure others would to do this; no need for Meditech >to hire anyone for this (although if they offered to pay me something to do >this, it would be a nice gesture). > The problem here is with the management at Meditech. Yes, there are >programmers and consultants who have been there a long time, but others who >spend only a short time there. As an employer, shouldn't they be asking the >question why is the turnover rate so high? Is it money? Increase the pay. Is >it working conditions? Improve them. Whatever it is, fix it so that people >with experience are rewarded and do stay for the long haul. I believe that >the other problem with management is that customer satisfaction is not at >the top of their list where it should be. Meditech is what it is because of >the customers. We are the ones who make the suggestions which make it a more >robust product. Yet, Meditech no longer participates in MUSE, has eliminated >the enhancement voting process (sorry, but the MIX doesn't replace this), >and continues to release products with basic design flaws that could have >been prevented up front. Also, I see Meditech as unwilling to spend the >dollars on R&D that need to be spent and to hire the staff that needs to be >hired. > Yes, Meditech is still one of the best healthcare software companies >around, but is that enough? The hallmark of a great business is that they >always go above and beyond to offer the best product and customer service >that they can. Saying that you are better than the competitors is not >enough. What if the Boeing manufactured jets with as many problems as there >are with the Meditech software? Would you want to fly in one of their jets? >Charlie > > >Charles Downs PharmD >Washington County Hospital >251 E. Antietam Street >Hagerstown, MD, 21740 >301-790-8904 > > >-----Original Message----- >From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] >On Behalf Of [EMAIL PROTECTED] >Sent: Tuesday, July 03, 2007 8:32 PM >To: Mary Everett >Cc: [EMAIL PROTECTED]; [EMAIL PROTECTED]; >[email protected] >Subject: Re: [MEDITECH-L] Buggy Meditech programming of DTS's > > That is actually quite helpful. Sort of what we already know. I think >the poor guys that are still there are spread so thin because besides >pharmacy, >there is now physician order entry, ambulatory care, oncology, BMV, eMAR >etc. etc. which ALL involve pharmacy at different levels and require >different >levels >of knowledge. Ambulatory care pharmacy is not the ame as oncolgy is not the >same as long term care is not the same as acute care. It is sort of the >different between an ER doctor ,a neurologist and a psychiatrist. They may >use the same tests and the same drugs, but they may order them in a >completely >different way and look for different results for different reasons. The >pharmacy programmers may have worked at Meditech for years and there may >even be a >pharmacist there but if they are not actually hands on familiar with what is >going on out there today with the laws and regulations and requirements and >expectations of management on what technology can do (regardless of whether >it can do it or not), I think they will be hard pressed to really understand >the >needs of >the users. > But I think hooking them up with pharmacists who can help them >understand is management's job. There are enough pharmacists >who are able to explain how things should work, but I think that it is >better done visually. When it is done over the phone or when a spec is >written out, >we wind up with these enhancements that the programmers have worked really >hard on and they turn out to be just terrible because they require far too >many >keystrokes, >or they are too cumbersome to use, or they just don't work the way they were >envisioned. These things don't get tested and checked out throughly in the >beginning and by the time someone sits up and complains about it, it is too >late to fix it for that release. Then,you have to wait years for it to get >put >back the way it should have been done in the first place. The problem is >that, now we are being faced with mandates and regulations and we can't wait >years >for these issues to be resolved. > >This e-mail message, including its attachments, is for the sole use of the >intended recipient(s) and may contain confidential or privileged >information. Any >unauthorized review, use, disclosure or distribution >is prohibited. 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