Home Forums Discussions General Discussion User questions why ACP supports CCHIT.

If this is to be a true study demonstrating how important CCHIT certification is, those in charge should use a scientific method and include these very currently excluded practices as a “control group” to which to compare not only if CCHIT certified EMRs are better at providing care, but to what degree as a lot will depend on the final outcome. Anything less will be a sham. Only by having a control group will future practices like mine be convinced that what we are being told about CCHIT certified EMRs is true and that the investment is a worthwhile endeavor not only for our patients, but for our very survival.

Here is the recent letter at ACP internist and ACP's rather anemic response:

http://www.acponline.org/journals/news/jan08/letters.htm

Joseph,

Thanks for that link. Very, very interesting. I agree completely with Dr. Rajesh. This is another example of our medical representatives and our government jumping on some wagon that has wobbly wheels and a bent tongue. My question is this...what or who the heck comprises the "Industry" that has put forth this "Standard"? Is it not the large EMR vendors? Where is the voice of the people down in the trenches...those actually having to use these programs, having to care for their patients, and having to stay solvent? Unfortunately, our voices are not being heard even by our own medical societies. My best advice to all is to dump these societes as fast as we can. They certainly cannot be allowed to continue to drive nails into our coffins. Without our membership dues, they are nothing. And, as far as I am concerned, the sooner that happens, the better.

Leslie

This is why I quit all my society memberships. Very good letter, Joseph! I see that the guy that wrote back didn't even bother to sign his name. What gets me is how these guys got so convinced that the EHR is the end-all for all of medicine's ills. Both Hillary and Obama, BTW, want to make the EHR the centerpiece of their socialized medicine schemes. Check out:

Clinton presses for electronic medical records
Healthcare IT News, By Diana Manos, Senior Editor, 01/04/08
URL: http://www.healthcareitnews.com/story.cms?id=8359#

When you posted this at emrupdate I wanted to thank you for your efforts, but Nick's still pissed off at me and so I'm still banned for life. It's now Lowell, the moderator with who I got into a fight with, to keep the place active. He's all for this pro-P4P/pro-CCHIT stuff, though. He looks forward to reporting what a great doctor he is so that he can get more money than his doctor friends. Check out:

http://www.emrupdate.com/forums/t/12228.aspx
and
http://www.emrupdate.com/forums/t/12222.aspx

I don't know why I even read that stuff... it kind of makes me sick.

In one Sermo thread I asked readers if they even knew anything about the possible HIT requirements that Bush/Leavitt wanted to mandate, and 38% of docs didn't even have a clue about these political developments that could be disastrous to their offices: https://md.sermo.com/medical/ticket/details?nav=on&id=14378

In another thread, 87% of docs were against the HIT tie-in that was essentially temporarily dropped in last month's Congressional bill that gave us back the 10% pay cut from Medicare: https://md.sermo.com/medical/ticket/details?nav=on&id=13862

Al

This is an unfounded assertion. There is no clear way to assure an enduring EHR solution with certification! When did the word CCHIT become a magic word, like "Abracadabra!"

CCHIT is a committee composed of people, with the usual complement of vested interests and mixed motivations, not holy prophets with glimpses into the future.


This is a circular argument. All they are saying, in effect, is that CCHIT certification allows them a way to identify EMRs that are CCHIT certified!

There is no sign that they have questioned whether CCHIT is measuring the proper criteria, and they seem unwilling to take steps to find out. There is no sign that they even heard, or understood, the points made in that letter.

I'm totally appalled, but this is what I have come to expect from the "professional societies".

Let me clue you all in on something that many of you have already found out - feeding an EMR takes a BOATLOAD of time, and does almost NOTHING to "improve the quality of care" as these idiots claiming. Yeah, the wagon they're forcing us to jump onto has wobbly wheels, but with a fresh coat of paint, they think we're all dumb enough to jump on it.

Confirms that the ACP is about as dumb as the AAFP about these things. I got over being enamoured with gadgets and computers about 20 years ago.. Mandates toward this B*LLS**T are coming - and when they do I'm going to go back to engineering.

Sorry, maybe I should have waited for when I was less angry to post.

V.

Vinny- Come on, tell us what you really think!

Actually, I am sure many here would echo your thoughts. The really frustrating part is that it all comes down to money. You are not going to make big bucks selling your software to small practices, so those that want big profits target hospital systems and large corporate style practices. Those big medical systems probably need/want "back doors" in software systems so they can keep an eye on satellite offices,etc. Now when it comes down to making "standards" for med software, who do you think is going to influence politicians the most? Small time docs/practices or deep pocket corporations. Of course, we're not special....this happens in other industries as well. The nature of the beast. Unfortunatley, I can't fall back on an engineering degree like Vinny. There's always the Diesel Driving Academy! I always did like the open road.

Great idea, David!

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You've got a job, my friend.
Call Diesel Driving Academy,
They'll teach you all you need to know...

Call 1-800-551-8900.
The road starts right here!

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ADDENDUM: I found a guy attempting to sing the theme song!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3bOeH_8dxH4

(WARNING: this link is not for the faint-hearted).