UK: Another Example of IT Malpractice With Bad Health IT (BHIT) Affecting Thousands of Patients, But, As Always, Patient Care Was "Not Compromised"

At my Dec. 2011 post " IT Malpractice? Yet Another "Glitch" Affecting Thousands of Patients. Of Course, As Always, Patient C...

Hype, Spin and Health Care: the Case of an Apparently Failed Hospital Purchase by Steward Health Care

Health care is drowning in a sea of hype and spin.  We have frequently posted about deceptive marketing used to sell drugs, devices, and h...

HIMSS Senior Vice President on Medical Ethics: Ignore Health IT Downsides for the Greater Good

The Health Information Management Systems Society ( HIMSS ) is the large health IT vendor trade group in the U.S.  At a Sept. 21, 2012 HIMSS...

Good Health IT (GHIT) v. Bad Health IT (BHIT): Paper is Better Than The Latter

An unspoken running assumption of the health IT enthusiast crowd seems to be that any health IT is better than no health IT, because using p...

No Skin in the Game - A Private Health System for the Very Rich

We have noted occasional hints that the very rich may have a separate health care system which may shield them from the vicissitudes of our...

Just the Latest Legal Settlement for HCA

Last month, we posted about investigative reports that suggesting that for-profit hospital chain HCAwas pushed by its private equity owner...

Another unsolicited email from a physician describing EHR-caused chaos in the clinic

I periodically receive unsolicited stories of EHR difficulties (mayhem, really) as a result of clinicians or others locating my materials on...

At Risk in the Computerized Hospital: The HITECH Act as Social Policy Malpractice, and Passivity of Medical Professionals

I am revisiting the issue of HITECH in light of recent reports on health IT drawbacks and/or failure to achieve long-claimed advantages. The...

In addition to nurses, doctors now air their alarm: Contra Costa County health doctors air complaints about county's new $45 million computer system

At my Aug. 2012 post " Contra Costa's $45 million computer health care system endangering lives, nurses say ", I described how...

Majority of the Public Wants Politicians Who Will Root Out Corporate Corruption

Here is a story that makes me unusually optimistic, at least about the wisdom of the people at large. Reuters reported on a new poll,   With...

"The Syndrome of Useless Information" Revisited

At a time when the press seems to be starting to "get it" regarding health IT myths, and expecting significant pushback, I thought...

BLOGSCAN - Why Not Just Pay Physicians By the Hour?

We have frequently discussed how perverse incentives are spread around health care.  In the US, the physicians are paid according to a syst...

WSJ, Koppel and Soumerai: A Major Glitch for Digitized Health-Care Records - Cost Savings Illusory

Two EHR experts from Ivy-league institutions (which are typically hyperenthusiast-oriented) doubt cost savings from EHR technology. Wall Str...