WEB EXTRA!
To the editor:
The recent announcement of AAFP's negotiating with major electronic health record distributors greatly excited me for two reasons. First of all, I might now be able to afford an EHR system for a new office my group is opening in June. But secondly, and most importantly, the AAFP has shown that it does truly care about its members, knows what its members are up against in their offices and will work for us in helping us overcome obstacles. Thank you.
Christopher Ciccone, M.D.
Yorktown, Va.
To the editor:
Six years ago, my ex-partner and I squandered $50,000 on a dysfunctional electronic medical record system. I have been waiting for the market to "mature." To my disappointment, last year there were over 400 vendors peddling EMR. AAFP has taken a tremendous step in narrowing the field, lowering prices for the small practice and establishing some kind of industry standards for EMR. Keep up the good work. I'll be waiting!
John Koella, M.D.
Saratoga Springs, N.Y.
To the editor:
My thanks to the AAFP for its efforts at helping promote EHR use to us little guys (one doc and one advanced registered nurse practitioner). I am so ready to get on board the EHR bandwagon, but I've been limited by issues of cost and vendor choice. I am proud to be a member of such a forward-thinking organization.
Charlie Booras, M.D.
Jacksonville, Fla.
To the editor:
I found the AAFP EMR price reductions laughable. I and other struggling FPs in the solo market need a "basic" no-whistles-or-bells EMR at rock-bottom cost.
Bruce Bailey, M.D.
Canterbury, Conn.
To the editor:
Just a comment from Britain: The government is so involved here in doctors' practices that each doctor's office would get a sizable or at least reasonable "adopt the new format" grant for new laws such as the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act and for more expensive modernizations. So my colleagues here were quite surprised that so few U.S. doctors use EHR until I pointed out that the Americans all have to cover the expense of EHR on their own. Here, almost all have EHR, and not all the same one, either, as it is not dictated by the government.
Jennifer S Marsden, MD, FAAFP
Andover, United
Kingdom
Editor's Note: To learn more about AAFP's EHR initiative, visit the Academy's Center for Health Information Technology Web page at http://www.aafp.org/centerforhit.xml. Click on "Current Projects," then on "Principled Group Purchasing Agreements -- Partners for Patients."
FP Report is published by the
AAFP News Department.
Copyright © 2004 by
American Academy of Family Physicians.