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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.”
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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Filed under: Information Technology, Pruitt's Platform | Tagged: ADA, Angela Haupt, DDS, dentists, Dr. Raymond Gist, eDRs, EHRs, EMRs, Kellus Pruitt DDS, The Era of Electronic Medical Records |
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Without transparency in healthcare, there is no credibility. And without credibility, the ADA quietly dies
In discussing a recent Harvard study which failed to find a correlation between fluoride consumption and bone cancer, ADA President Dr. Raymond Gist spoke on behalf of dentists to reassure Americans: “As a science-based profession, we must always examine new evidence and consider it along with existing science in order to evaluate guidelines and recommendations for patient care. This new study adds to an already strong base of scientific evidence that fluoride is safe and effective at preventing cavities.”
http://www.abc12.com/story/15165562/ada-president-raymond-gist-dds-comments-on-harvard-study-examining-fluoride-levels-in-bone?clienttype=printable
Considering that the ADA spent thousands of dollars on a half-dozen press releases exactly like this one – emphasizing that Americans deserve the best answers science can deliver – why has Dr. Gist chosen not to respond to my equally important question about the safety of electronic dental records? I posted my question on Dr. Gist’s Facebook 3 weeks ago. Facebook is free, for crying out loud!
What happened to the “science-based profession” he mentioned? Either EDRs are safer than paper dental records or they are not. Interoperable EHRs in dentistry cannot move forward until safety concerns are addressed. I and a few million other Americans simply won’t allow it.
A few weeks ago, I questioned the ADA’s obvious bias for EDR adoption by dentists. As of this morning, my critical opinion is featured on the Medical Executive-Post titled, “USN&WR – Meet the ADA President.”
Was it wrong for me to suggest to USN&WR reporters that they should also friend Dr. Gist and post their questions on his Facebook? Since he spends thousands of dollars on inefficient press releases, yet still only has 9 fans on his Facebook, it looks like he can use help getting the ADA’s story out.
Like it or not, this is the transparency I’ve been seeking for over 5 years. And for you anonymous Good ol’ boys who cannot seem to get your opinion out of your pocket, PR rules have changed. You’ll have to do more than just quietly harrumph from now on. I’m not going away. You are.
D. Kellus Pruitt DDS
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I smell a smoking gun. If I’d only been at the scene of the crime, I wouldn’t have to ask witnesses for details. I’ll know better next year.
A teaser for an ADA News article available only to members was posted a few days ago: “Insurance, electronic health records top agenda at National Dental Benefits Conference.”
https://www.ada.org/news/6125.aspx
“Topics included insurance benefits, electronic health records, the role of dental carriers in disease management and more.”
I couldn’t care less about dental benefits, and I’m certainly not interested in how UnitedHealth’s algorithms can manage disease and overpayments through intimacy with happy dentists’ computers (my guess). I only want to know what was said about the value of EHRs in dentistry compared to paper dental records.
It’s not for me. Since the ADA represents my patients’ interests before the US government, I owe it to them to at least attempt to uncover what is said in ADA Headquarters about EHRs in dentistry. Unfortunately, since I’m no longer an ADA member – by their choice, not mine – I can no longer access the articles ADA officials prefer dental patients not read.
So while I’m waiting for the kindness of a friend, what do you think? Were naïve audience members in Chicago sufficiently warned about the absence of a return on investment and the bankrupt-level liability of EDRs? I’d love to be surprised, but I don’t think so. I’m pretty sure it’s still too soon for painful transparency. A lot of careers in dental-related companies depend on dentists purchasing EDRs.
I’ve attended a couple benefit conferences. Apart from being a reliable early-warning of NADP threats to dentists and dental patients, the yearly gathering is sort of like a rationalization bazaar for EDR stakeholders with products they cannot sell on their own merits. The complicated, expensive technology has been searching for a use in small, simple dentistry businesses for years. To keep a small business out of trouble, it’s hard to beat trustworthy information and common sense.
Doc, to witness how many parasites HIPAA has attracted to our profession, one must simply attend a benefits conference!
D. Kellus Pruitt DDS
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A directed challenge for more transparency in dentistry
By simply searching my name, one can confirm that I’ve been following and reporting the progress of EHRs and HIPAA in dentistry more than any other dentist in the nation. The impromptu adventure in investigative journalism started in February 2006 with a Texas Dental Association representative’s poorly disguised evasion of my simple questions about the HIPAA Rule – which the TDA Board still actively promotes to membership without explanation. Nothing attracts my interest more than poorly-hidden evasion.
Since then, I’ve followed the same scent of malfeasance deep into the traditionally obscure healthcare niche of dentistry – where stakeholders who once controlled the flow of information could reliably protect each other from accountability to dentalcare principals. A decade or so ago, dentistry developed into a vendor-friendly industry where to publicly question HIPAA and the safety of electronic dental records is still considered unprofessional. Such questions have proven to result in the summary suspension of this dentist’s membership in the ADA without explanation… Creating even more unanswered questions, of course.
So be it. I look around, and I still firmly believe that I alone am representing my patients’ interests concerning EDRs. I also firmly believe that what I have to say is more important than slow-moving good ol’ boys’ favorite interpretations of professionalism.
If this drama were taking place anywhere other than dentistry, the adventure could pass as a hillbilly reality show.
Here’s something I’ve found intriguing: Physicians, whose practices need digital records much more than dentists’, have openly participated in vibrant and constructive internet discussions for years concerning problems with not only EHRs but also the HIPAA Rule. What’s more, because of their uninhibited conversations, physicians have actually cooperated to find solutions. And where are dentistry’s counterparts? They are busy upholding the dignity and honor of the profession by protecting adults with post-graduate degrees from reading unpatriotic opinions of HIPAA.
All in all, I prefer discussions with our medical colleagues because not one of them has ever censored this dentist’s opinions – even if they make physicians no happier than they make dentists. So why do social media leaders in dentistry like Dr. Jason Lipscomb, Dr. Laurent Giro, Dr. Lorne Lavine and the Madow Brothers anonymously delete discussion of digital records without warning or explanation? Imagine my dental patient’s point of view: Is censorship of my questions on the internet more likely to be good or bad for their welfare? Our leaders’ behavior is actually sort of embarrassing, don’t you agree?
If you don’t like what I say, Lipscomb, Giro, Lavine and Madows, I welcome your responses. I give my word that I will not censor a word you say. In fact, I’ll broadcast your rebuttal to audiences you would otherwise never reach.
I just hope you get this message. After all, each of you has blocked me from posting on your Facebooks. Now you must depend on friends to deliver your mail.
D. Kellus Pruitt DDS
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Oops!
“The largest dental association in the US inadvertently sent its members a computer virus.”
By Paul Szoldra for Tech Insider
[April 28, 2016]
http://www.techinsider.io/american-dental-association-malware-usb-drives-2016-4
“The 159,000-member strong American Dental Association recently sent out a USB drive containing a PDF file of dental procedure codes. Also on at least some of those drives, however, was code that would redirect users to a website known to contain malicious code.”
D. Kellus Pruitt DDS
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