Kevin Toppenberg writes on the hardhats list:
I’m frustrated and need to vent a bit. My medical group now consists of 2 office complexes–the main office and my satellite office. At the end of this month, most of the doctors (those in the main office) will be changing management such that they become part of a nearby hospital. That hospital, in turn, is part of a much larger multi-state healthcare network. So the hospital is going to redo the network connections, bringing
hospital-level security. Everything has to be standardized. And guess what? There is “zero possibility” that a linux server will be
allowed on that network. And if I upgraded to the internet-capable CPRS client, and put my linux server on a separate network, even that would have to go through a (lengthy) coporate approval process which I doubt would be successful. So in a week, my main office will go from having a cost-effective opensource EMR, back to a point where transcriptionists type up notes in Word, print, then delete the file. What a waste! Supposedly “in 6 months” there is going to be a corporate-wide roll out of some other EMR with lots of bells and whistles. Who knows how that will work out…”

I don’t even know who to be upset at. I understand the hospital’s need to standardize and secure. But it seems that for them, it is 2 or 3 large steps backwards.

I will continue to use VistA in my office for now.

It’s fair to say that I’m ticked off…

Kevin