Demographics.
That’s it. Just demographics. Copy and Paste.
Changed 10/27/2014: I’ll make it even easier use the vCard standard. You don’t even need to transmit them even though that would be okay. Mandate that every application generate an XML page with name, DOB, gender, address, phone that can be copied and pasted and interpreted correctly into every other medical application. Just works, nearly every time.
Surely these huge corporations and governments and lawyers and regulators with their millions and billions can manage just this one insignificant thing that is actually useful? Right? Right?
This is NOT CCR/CCD. Just demographics. No link required, no gold plating. I’ve settled on calling this the Dumb Demographics challenge or DUDE. DUD is an alternative. I strongly considered Simple Health Informatics Technology Demographics but expected that to be misinterpreted. I would like this to be implemented industry-wide by Christmas. This should take perhaps a day, let’s just say a week of programmer time to implement this per program. If this cannot be managed then we all know what a wet kiss to proprietary vendors monopolies and what a complete shaft to everyone else ARRA is.
Positive attitude everyone!
User story: Authorized user is logged in to source and destination system. Patient is selected. On the source system Select Export Demographics. Window opens with XML text containing name, DOB, gender, address, phone number. Select All. Copy. On the target system, Select Import Demographics. Text window opens. Paste XML into window. Press OK. XML demographics are interpreted and patient is either registered into the system or a warning is posted that the patient is already registered in the system. That’s all.
Collision detection (and piecewise ID and validation timestamps) are a little wanting there. Is it ‘demographics’ for one person, or just identifying information? All that copy moving should normally just be a database entry in patients database to copy, aggressively deduped/validated. Validation trace and stamps can stay; no reason to see the stuff re-entered in every medication’s log of use.
See also the nice paper system in PRC. No kanban on the floor on that side o’ the China Sea.