Constructing the Ultimate EHR

I just started a discussion on LinkedIn that focuses on answering the questions: How can the EHR be transformed into the cornerstone of a comprehensive health IT system that fosters continually increasing care value (cost-effectiveness)? This “Ultimate EHR” discussion follows a discussion at LinkedIn in which reasons for EHR failures have been examined thoroughly. The purpose of the current discussion is to use the knowledge of such failures to guide the construction of a blueprint of an EHR that helps providers achieve the best possible outcomes at the least possible cost. The link to the discussion is: http://linkd.in/hUPJqf

Here's the introduction

In addition to discussing conventional methods, participants in this discussion are encouraged to present their innovations, creative ideas, and novel strategies. We will examine and critique these technologies, concepts and approaches in order to define a next-generation EHR that helps transform clinical data into actionable information and evidence-based knowledge aimed at increasing healthcare value (quality and efficiency) ; e.g., see http://bit.ly/eal8CS and http://bit.ly/hoQKTG.

We will seek creative solutions to daunting challenges such as determining the best ways for EHRs to:

• Evaluate data integrity to help assure the data contained are valid
• Securely exchange patient data between disparate “silos”
• Build lifetime medical records that provide the specific information tailored to the need of clinicians from every type of specialty/discipline, and in every healthcare setting, through use of different models that adapt the clinical terminologies, data sets, analytics/rules, forms, reports/views and overall UI to the end-users particular requirements
• Promote a strong and productive link between scientific research and clinical practice (“bench to bedside”) by (a) delivering de-identified patient data from everyday clinical practice to central repositories where researchers use them in developing evolving evidence-based personalized guidelines (http://bit.ly/giw1kF) and (b) propagating those guidelines—using clinical decision support functionality—without fostering “cookbook” medicine or stifling innovation
• Improve decision-making by providing patient-centered cognitive support (http://bit.ly/EzWgF)
• Manage expansive and every-changing clinical data standards, including terminologies, care processes and outcome measures
• Support the delivery of “whole-person integrated care” (http://bit.ly/7BVuA5)
• Handle images of all kinds (http://bit.ly/hu3NCH)
• Interoperate with other health IT tools
• Accommodate ALL meaningful use requirements, now and forever?

 All questions, comments and ideas are welcomed.