Editor’s Note: The following is an update to a previous EMR and HIPAA blog post titled “EMR Companies Holding Practice Data for “Ransom”.” In this update, James Summerlin (aka “JamesNT”) offers an update on EHR vendors willingness to let providers access their EHR data.
Over the years I have been approached with questions by several solo docs and medical groups about things such as the following:
- Migrating to a different PM or EMR system.
- Merging PM’s or EMR’s such as when a practice buys out another practice.
- Interfacing the EMR and PM.
- Custom reports.
- More custom reports.
- LOTS MORE CUSTOM REPORTS!!!
And there have been plenty of times I’ve had to give answers to those questions that were not favorable. In many cases, it was with some online EMR or PM and the fact that I could not get to the database and the vendor refused to export a copy to me or the vendor wanted thousands of dollars for the export. With the on-premises PM and EMR systems, getting to the data was a matter of working my way around whatever database was being used and figuring out what table had what data. Although working with an on-premises PM or EMR may sound easier, it too often isn’t. The on-premises guys have some tricks up their sleeves to keep you away from your data such as password protecting the database and, in some cases, flat out threatening legal action.
A few years back, I wrote a post on a forum about my thoughts on how once you entered your data into a PM or EMR, you may never get it back. You can see John Lynn’s blog post on that here.
My being critical of EMR and PM software vendors is nothing new. I’ve written several posts on forums and blogs, even articles in BC Advantage Magazine, about how hard it can be to deal with various EMR and PM systems. Much of the, at times, downright contemptuous attitudes many PM and EMR vendors have towards their own clients can be very harmful. Let’s consider three aspects:
- Customization. Most of the PM/EMR vendors out there would love to charge mega-bucks to write custom reports and so forth for clients. However, this isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. First, most clients simply aren’t going to pay the kind of money many PM or EMR companies want to charge. Second, custom reports have to be maintained. Eventually, you have all these clients running around needing changes to their reports and the PM or EMR vendor simply can’t get to them all in a timely manner without hiring lots of technical (read: EXPENSIVE) staff which turns what was once a money-making ordeal into a money losing one. And, of course, the client’s suffer since they can’t fine-tune their practice to the degree needed in today’s challenging economy.
- Interfacing. What happens if a client wants to interface encounters and demographics from their EMR …read more
