USN&WR – Meet the ADA President

Dr. Raymond Gist

By Kellus Pruitt DDS

I just found a US News Health article by Angela Haupt titled, “The Era of Electronic Medical Records.”

http://health.usnews.com/health-news/most-connected-hospitals/articles/2011/07/18/most-connected-hospitals?PageNr=1 

Even though dentistry wasn’t mentioned even once, I took liberties with the comment I posted. Besides, dentistry is never mentioned anywhere in the healthcare press, and that’s just not healthy. That is the point I hope I got across to Angela Haupt when I suggested she become Dr. Gist’s 7th Facebook friend.

 

Dear US News and World Report:

Last year, President Barack Obama promised that digitizing America’s health records will go beyond just improving care. He said transforming from paper to digital is a “panacea for the economy.” Somehow, illness became a renewable national resource.

I’m pretty sure neither the President nor US News have a clue about the business of dentistry.

Defying your common, misinformed bias for EHRs over paper records, here is a bite of reality from a dentist who actually treats patients: Other than me, the nation’s other 170,000 dentists are stone-silent about adoption of electronic dental records. Don’t you find that odd? What’s more, stakeholders inside and outside the American Dental Association, including even software vendors, avoid public discussions of EDRs. Dr. Oz’s Sharecare.com won’t even touch the topic. Why?…  a reporter might ask.

Do you trust that the widely-respected ADA always represents first and foremost the safety of dental care for both dentists and their patients? Let me fix that for you: ADA President Dr. Raymond Gist recently opened a Facebook, and two days ago, I was fortunate enough to be his second fan and the first to post a comment.

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Raymond-F-Gist/165275266868843

I took advantage of an unprecedented opportunity to speak directly to a vetted ADA official and asked the President, “Are electronic dental records more or less dangerous for dentists and patients than paper records?” I’m disappointed that Dr. Gist still has not responded. Why did he even bother opening a Facebook, one might ask.

Here’s what I think:

Because of the cost and safety issues with digital records that I warned each ADA President about since 2006, EDRs, and especially HIPAA, have become so difficult to defend in a free-market that nobody even tries any more. I think a handful of ADA leaders expected pigs to fly much sooner than this.

Assessment 

Want to do some real reporting, US News? Become Dr. Raymond F. Gist’s 7th Facebook fan and ask him on behalf of your publisher if EDRs are safer than paper dental records. Sure. It’s unconventional, and as far as journalism goes, it’s kind of kinky to post a question on someone’s Facebook. Nevertheless, it could be fun to watch a USN&WR reporter be treated with the same level of respect ADA officials offer dues-paying members.

Conclusion

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