They did not start out with a top-down plan for a
gargantuan software development. They had seen too many monstrous failures coming down to
them from Big IT to have confidence in that approach - and many more still coming.
Instead they focused on a common framework provided by Fileman and simple solutions to
practical problems they could understand and work on as individuals separated over great
distances and (gasp) before the internet.
Jim Self
Words of Wisdom.
In all the discussion of Epic, I wonder (if it has not already been asked) if there is not a way to break out the out-patient portions of VistA for use in an out-patient/family practice/general practice environment?
I guess David Chan is asking the same question. I wonder what the answer is?
If the answer is "yes", then I wonder if that answer has been communicated to the American Academy of Family Physicians whose press release follows, a press release that does not appear to indicate that they have already made up their minds.
AAFP Seeks Partners to Support Open-Source Electronic Health Record Initiative
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE��� �
January 22, 2003����� ��
Contact: Dawn Zimmer
(800) 274-2237, ext. 5222
Initiative Will Enhance the Quality and Safety of Patient Care
LEAWOOD, Kan. � The board of directors of the American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP) announced today a business plan to create a not-for-profit foundation to develop and distribute an open-source electronic health record (EHR). The plan includes partnering with other medical associations who have expressed strong interest in helping establish and fund this foundation.
"Electronic health records need to be used in every physician�s office in the country, but currently available systems do not address the complex patient care provided in a family doctor�s office," says James C. Martin, M.D., president of the American Academy of Family Physicians. "We�re taking the first step to remedy that by establishing a not-for-profit foundation to support development of an EHR system designed by physicians for physicians."
An electronic health record system is essential in increasing the quality of health care and improving patient safety. An EHR should contain detailed clinical notes; prescription ordering and management capability; a secure messaging system; lab and test results reporting; evidence-based health guidelines; secure and confidential patient access to health records; public health reporting and tracking system; mapping to clinical and administrative standard code sets; and the ability to interface with leading practice management software. The open-source EHR will be designed to run on PCs, Macintosh, Linux, UNIX, Palm and PocketPC hand-held devices.
"Our ultimate goal is to provide an EHR that is low-cost; has a set of simple, uniform end-user interfaces; and will support a seamless, secure exchange of clinical data between health care providers, organizations, institutions and patients. The time has come to move from theory to action on this," says David C. Kibbe, M.D., director of health information technology at the AAFP.
# # #
Founded in 1947, the American Academy of Family Physicians represents more than 94,300 physicians and medical students nationwide. It is the only medical specialty society devoted solely to primary care. Please visit www.aafp.org for more information about AAFP.
Copyright � 2003 American Academy of Family Physicians
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