With EMR, Don't Reinvent Wheel

I am writing in response to the article “Several Concerns Keep Psychiatrists Wary of Electronic Records” in the April 16 issue.

Most electronic record systems are not workable for my solo-practice office. Since 1987 I have used standard, off-the-shelf programs that make up a system that can do everything and works.

All told, the total cost was about $5,000 to $7,000. Match that commercially with a “user unfriendly one size fits all,” “click on boxes,” “can't send to anyone else” outrageously expensive program that is not interoperable with other systems.

The way to create an interoperable electronic medical record system is to get the Department of Defense DARPA (Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, which invented networking) to work with the Department of Defense and VA as they merge their records. They should develop a number of “flavors” of medical records from office to hospital that will communicate universally. Then they should sell the software at cost as an open software program. Why have a number of software companies that can go broke make over developed programs that try to do too much and do not fit most doctors' needs and that will be expensive because they are “medical”? Except for one, the programs I used are regularly improved through upgrades. I have designed the format that fits my needs.