FP Report -- May 1999
Protect yourself as Y2K nears
If your desktop computer fails to work after Jan. 1, 2000, it's a hassle you should have dealt with earlier, but it's one you can overcome.
But if a patient, hooked up to failing computer-driven monitoring equipment, suffers needlessly after Jan. 1, 2000, that's a bigger problem. And it's one you should pinpoint in your Y2K preparation efforts now.
Todd Dicus, J.D., AAFP general counsel, said physicians should start creating a "paper trail" for Y2K compliance of equipment in their offices -- and should push hospitals to do the same.
"You're trying to show you're not somehow negligent," Dicus said. "Contact your vendors, and try to establish the value of the information you get back."
If you don't hear back, Dicus said, or if you get a letter that says something like "good question, we don't know," watch out. Information posted on the Y2K monograph portion of the Academy's Web site suggests some companies may not even have Y2K compliance plans in place, or may have decided to quietly go out of business.
Look for sample Y2K compliance letters to vendors on AAFP Express and on the AAFP Web site (other information from the Academy's Y2K monograph is available online as well). On the other hand, you might receive a "canned" response that does not offer specifics. If you receive a letter like this from a vendor, keep pressing for clarity, and keep an eye on the vendor's Web site for up-to-the-minute information, if available.
Try to cover yourself, Dicus said, because in the event of tragedy following a Y2K "glitch," it's likely everyone involved will be named in subsequent lawsuits.
FP Report is published by the AAFP News Department. Copyright © 1999 by American Academy of Family Physicians.
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