These are busy times! I haven’t posted anything in over weeks so I’m going to handle three items in one.
1. Call to action: “No MU without Me”
Two weeks ago, two important things came up in the Washington health IT policy world. On the e-patients blog I wrote two posts about them, which I encourage you to look at.
Post 1: “No MU without ME”: join the campaign to fight health data hiding
This is an important post, getting lots of attention. Two important DC policy items in this post –
- A proposed rule change to roll back current requirements for hospitals to help you to get your data.
- Meanwhile, ONC (the federal office that for health IT policy) sent a report to Congress saying that some system vendors and some healthcare providers are “knowingly interfering” with the transfer of patient record data. Knowingly interfering!
The result is that a national day of action has been proposed, because a primary complaint from hospitals is “Look, nobody even asks for their information. Why should we have to automate delivering it??” (Read the post for more precise specifics.) Stay tuned. Meanwhile, a social media campaign has started: “No MU Without Me” – it’s explained in the post.
Post 2: NY Times editorial on forces who “knowingly interfere” with health info exchange
On Sunday the Times ran an editorial on the subject, spotlighting that the ONC report had noted “business interests” as the cause of the data obstruction. In my post I said, pretty pointedly:
Restricting flow of patient information is not a valid playground for private business interests.
If you have a story about how healthcare was helped or harmed by access to your (or your family’s) records, let me know so we can add it to the story database we’ll be collecting.
2. Book signing and audio interview at HIMSS health IT conference
HIMSS (Health Information Management Systems Society) is the big society for health IT systems. Their big annual conference and trade show was two weeks ago in Chicago, and my February speaking client Intersystems brought me to do a big book signing at their booth.
That same day I recorded a 20 minute interview for the Intrepid Healthcare internet radio program, with Joe Lavelle and Rayann Thorn. It starts with a review of the ancient history of my involvement in the data movement. More importantly, about halfway into it I discuss the new DC policy issues I just mentioned. The 20 minute audio is here.
If you’re interested in this subject, be sure to listen too to their interview with famed artist Regina Holliday. They’ll also be posting another session with five “patient scholarship” winners.
Big big thanks to CTG Health Solutions, not just for hosting the radio booth but for helping with those patient scholarships!
3. New article on the global e-patient movement
Last fall at the ESMO European cancer convention I met journalist Teresa Bau, and she published an interview then. She and her editor have now expanded the story: The New e-Patient: Better Informed and More Engaged – look at all the things that are going on, in Europe as well as here! A “school for patients,” the EUPATI patient alliance – so much goodness!
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