I love Obama, but in this case, he's simply wrong

February 26, 2009 | Jay Parkinson, MD

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Obama said he’s appropriating $20 Billion dollars to the healthcare industry to encourage widespread adoption of electronic medical records.

While this sounds like a phenomenal idea, it’s not.

This is about as good an idea as throwing money at advancing the technology found in the Commodore 64.

Like bailing out the Big Three automakers, an infusion of federal dollars into the current crop of programs will only stifle innovation that’s sorely needed to make electronic record systems truly useful.

Here are some screenshots from two popular electronic medical records (click to enlarge):

Can you imagine Facebook, Amazon, eBay, Flickr, Tumblr or any other promising new “technology” building such awful interfaces and counterintuitive usability?

We should be investing in companies that build amazing web apps and sites that you don’t even realize you’re using…instead, these companies are going to get a monetary windfall and continue to develop total crap. And doctors are still going to find it more convenient to write on paper with a pen…and therein lies the reason why only 9% of office based primary care docs use computers. Because the only technology out there they can use looks and functions like nothing else they use in their everyday lives - gMail, gCal, Facebook, Flickr, and Amazon.

The hyperlink has revolutionized everything, except health care technology.

And Obama wants to throw money at a sinking ship. Hey Obama…I’ve got a Commodore 64 you can buy for $20 Billion.

Jay Parkinson runs hello health.
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Reader Comments (3)Login to Post a Comment

thuc says: to ernest

March 01, 2009 | 6:00PM GMT

check out the myca platform on myca's website or even on youtube. there's a good video guided tour of it. i love its look and ease of use.

RI says: I love Obama, but...

February 28, 2009 | 8:08AM GMT

This kind of destructive comment coming from someone who's profession is well respected is exactly what we don't need; for starters:

1: Jay knows nothing about how these $$$$ will be allocated (I'm assuming here that he's not on the appropriation committee in Washington)
2: the $20 billion is a mere drop for what's really needed to revolutionize the health-care system, so this has to be taken for what it is -- an evolutionary effort
3: I'd rather have a doctor with a C64 that would tell her the medication she's about to prescribe is gonna kill me because of drug/allergy reactions -- try that with a paper system

Here's a challenge:

it's interesting to note that you run a clinic that called hello health and that you and your colleagues love technology, so along with the screen-shots that you find so antiquated, why not also include shots of the technology that you use/find intuitive so we can rally around you and get some positive inertia going?

Ernest

VCBH-Peter says: Loser UI and UX

February 27, 2009 | 10:54AM GMT

Right on, Jay.

(Warning: Soap box being pulled out.)

I came to biomedical informatics after 10 years as a private contractor in media. I was appalled by the lack of understanding or care given to the visual display of data and narrative that affected the life and livelihood of millions.

Evidenced-based medicine, clinical decision support, personalized medicine and all the other emerging models are rendered ineffective, unless:

(1) a caring health care professional is able to quickly assess, understand and act on information,

...and...

(2) normal people are able to incorporate health care into the tools and patterns of daily life.

Keep up the good fight, Dr. Parkinson!