I guess the issue with Leslie and her experience is that supposedly Soapware had a tremendous problem with their conversion to SQL.
I think that most of us are happy with whatever programming changes that Jon thinks is appropriate. When he felt that it was time to go to SQL he did - now he is working on CCHIT. Again I think he has the best interest of his users in mind.
I have no doubt that the changes above will require major programming efforts, but I also think that we as end users can offer suggestions, wishes, recommendations on what the product does or what the end result is, but realistically how he writes his program is really his business. Your comment of I don't "think," I know I assume was directed at my quote of thinking... I am not a software guru, but I do know that the program works in a real world setting - it got me through over 4,500 office visits last year and it continues to improve.
I just think that Leslie is using her AC in the real world, as are many of us. It is one thing to sit back and contemplate, compare and nitpick - I hope the clinic you are working with has set down and used an EMR of any type for a days worth of visits (or a week, month, whatever) and see what it can do. I find that I can take an established visit and within 3 minutes do a complete note, scrips, code, and check out (that is the actual note process - still have to see the patient, but no searching through stacks of paper for labs,x-rays, etc.). If they try Amazing Charts for a few days and it doesn't work then you can take it off your list, print out the notes from those visits and move on. I wonder if all the rest of your programs let you test drive it in a real world setting.
I will grant you that I use computers a lot, but I was writing notes after the fact with AC day 1 and within a couple of days was doing them in the room.
Back to the beginning of the thread - NO ONE KNOWS what a certified EMR is or whatever else the requirements are.... let's just wait and see. We aren't even sure based on the announcement whether anyone who adopts emr before 2011 will even qualify or if those of us who are "early adopters" will get left out in the cold - maybe those clinics who stall and wait another year or two will get money, but I am happy to be using my EMR now.
