My Programmable Self Behavior Change Reading list has been one of my most popular posts. I still think any Health IT expert should be well-versed in behavior change science, since so many healthcare issues boil down to behavior change problems… either for patients or providers or both. But the other... read more →
There are two definitions of the word “Hacker”. One is an original and authentic term that the geekdom uses with respect. This is a cherished label in the technical community, which might read something like: “A person adept at solving technical problems in clever and delightful ways” While the one portrayed by... read more →
At Strata RX in October I announced the availability of DocGraph. This is the first project ofNotOnly Development, which is a Not Only For Profit Health IT micro-incubator. The DocGraph dataset shows how doctors, hospitals, laboratories and other health care providers team together to treat Medicare patients. This data details... read more →
I am happy to announce the release of the doctor “referral” social graph. This dataset, which I obtained using a Freedom of Information Act request against the Medicare claims database, details how most doctors, hospitals and other providers team together to deliver care in the United States. This graph is... read more →
Who owns a patient’s health information? ·The patient to whom it refers? ·The health provider that created it? ·The IT specialist who has the greatest control over it? The notion of ownership is inadequate for health information. For instance, no one has an absolute right to destroy health information. But... read more →
It's time to recognize and appreciate highly engineered health information systems. Have you had an auto mechanic look at your wrecked car and sigh, “they just don’t make them like they used to”? Darn right they don’t make them like they used to. Old cars were much better about surviving... read more →
Who owns a patient’s health information? The patient to whom it refers? The health provider that created it? The IT specialist who has the greatest control over it? The notion of ownership is inadequate for health information. For instance, no one has an absolute right to destroy health information. But... read more →
Sometimes I find a picture or a blog post that leaps off the screen at me and says “your readers must see this as it applies to health IT.” Normal Modes, a solid UX company based in Houston, sends me fairly good UX tips on a regular business. The last... read more →
TechCrunch recently published a guest post from Vinod Khosla with the headline “Do We Need Doctors or Algorithms?“. Khosla is an investor and engineer, but he is a little outside his depth on some of his conclusions about health IT. Let me concede and endorse his main point that doctors... read more →
Electronic health records are fundamentally dangerous. They're also safer than the current model. Are electronic health records (EHR) safe? No. EHRs are not safe. They are fundamentally and irreparably dangerous even during normal use. EHRs will kill people. Lots of people. EHRs have been killing people for years. They will... read more →