I am anticipating the upcoming Webinar entitled Avoiding the Seven Deadly Sins That Can Derail Your Interoperability Strategy. I like this theme as a metaphor. After all, it seems that "Lust, Gluttony, Greed, Sloth, Wrath, Envy, and Pride” all eventually find their way into HIT projects. It is the recognition and management of these traits of human frailty that ensure successful implementation.
“Sloth” seems to me as the most glaring sin today. How long must we continue to wait for meaningful information exchange while those responsible for health and wellness continue to decide whether or not they can adapt to new technology? As a “deadly sin,” the Institute of Medicine’s now famous report on deaths due to medical error certainly places the slow pace of technology acceptance in the limelight. But perhaps I am a bit harsh. Maybe, like my own display of impatience, the slow pace of change is merely a “venial” sin—meaning that they can be forgiven.
But let’s not talk about the sins of omission. Institutions and clinicians that are embarking on the initial steps of interoperability must be wary of two of the deadly sins—“Greed” and “Gluttony”
When I talk to physicians about information sharing, the truth is that most want “everyone to share with me,” yet many are unwilling to contribute data back. Much of this is due to paranoia that still exists regarding the potential misuse demographics and referral patterns for unfair, competitive business purposes.
In addition to “wanting without sharing,” most physicians are unwilling to change their own practice in order maintain an HIE. Workflow seemingly demands that each maintain records in his or her own vernacular, perhaps using a proprietary EMR, often with free text. In other words, complex vocabularies and disparate data formats must adapt to their needs.
Think about the consequences of “Gluttony” when it comes to medical data. Why wouldn’t we “want it all?” Yet like many things in life, overconsumption can hurt you. Differentiating critical data can be like finding the proverbial needle in a haystack, if this overwhelming data collection is not semantically organized. Because it is now “there,” many clinicians continue to worry about the new medico-legal consequences of being responsible for “all the data.” Finally, many conscientious caregivers feel compelled to review the entire record, and worry that interoperability will drastically cut into their efficiency.
The Webinar will be held on October 20 from 1-2 pm (EDT), is co-sponsored by dbMotion and Initiate Systems and will feature Dr. William A. Fera VP, Medical Technologies & Medical Director, Interoperability The University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC) and Lorraine Fernandes, RHIA Vice President, Healthcare Industry Ambassador, Initiate Systems as moderator.
I look forward to Dr. William Fera’s take on this.
For more information and to register for the webinar, visit http://www.dbmotion.com/register%20for%20webinar.aspx
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