Re: Attitudes of hospital workers towards electronic medical records

[Franklin Valier]

As an IT health information systems researcher scientist whose work is 
partly focused on trying to understand the implications of social factors in 
the adoption of new information systems, I see both value and limitations of 
all such studies.  A case study is usually viewed in research circles as 
just that.  Not nearly as valuable as empirical controlled studies.  Case 
studies are taken into consideration as outliers in the sampling of events 
influencing any phenomena under study.  The role of case studies in research 
literature is not critical to the expansion of knowledge about a subject 
under study.  They are published only as an ancillary activity to true 
research.  Since they are not subject to the rigor of real scientific 
investigation one should not be concerned with their influence on other 
research scientists to whom they are directed.
Research literature has many types of reporting of observations about 
matters of interest.  The case study is a very limited.  It is only 
considered of in scientific observations if nothing better has been done 
yet.   Sometime they lead investigators into areas of further exploration.

Frank Valier
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "J. Antas" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
To: <openhealth-list@minoru-development.com>
Sent: Friday, May 20, 2005 8:52 AM
Subject: Re: Attitudes of hospital workers towards electronic medical 
records


Joseph Dal Molin wrote:
This is another example of garbage in = garbage out. I can't understand 
how studies like this with a sample size of one,  are allowed to be 
published in what appears to be a "scholarly journal".
I am sure that if you provide a better study with a lot more samples they 
will be glad to publish it.
> I have often questioned the quality of peer review in academic
medical informatics
because of articles like this one...
I wonder, were they simply praising and/or glorifying a new EHR/CPOE, 
would you be so critical?

The aeronautical industry only started to get really safe and reliable 
after they started to exhaustively study all their accidents and/or 
non-expected events.

This combined with the software industry's legacy business model and 
marketing are the greatest enemies for innovation in health care IT....
I would rather say that the worst enemy is failing to see the human factor 
and the social issues as the main causes for Clinical IT failure.

In healthcare I tend to agree with the Nicholas G. Carr's "IT Doesn't 
Matter" principle.
Seen at that light a Clinical IT system is not really different from using 
a stethoscope or an ultrasonagraph. They are all limited means to reach a 
common end: to better help other human beings.

> feel free to add more to the list.
Fear not, I guess that my freedom has not being menaced yet.
Best regards,
J. Antas