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Major Discontent With EHR Adoption
[By D. Kellus Pruitt DDS]
Unlike physicians, dentists never complain. That means they are probably 100% satisfied with their electronic dental records.
What do you think, Doc?
MarketWatch
Recently, the Wall Street Journal’s MarketWatch posted a press release titled, “Physicians Cite Major Discontent With Adoption And Use of Electronic Health Record Systems, Despite Government’s $27 Billion Incentive Program”
“CLEVELAND, Feb. 7, 2014 /PRNewswire/ — The $27 billion government experiment to incentivize physicians to convert to electronic health records (EHRs) has not been worth it, according to nearly 70% of physicians surveyed.
Medical Economics
***
In fact, a national [Medical Economics] survey of nearly 1,000 physicians, set for release on February 10, 2014, shows widespread dissatisfaction related to the functionality and cost of these patient record systems. About 45% of physicians believe patient care is actually worse as a result of adopting EHR technology, two-thirds would not purchase their current EHR system again, and 43% of physicians say these systems have resulted in significant financial losses.
In addition, the current state of technology has not improved the coordination of care with hospitals, physicians say.”
***
It is probably better for HHS that very few dentists were able to participate in the ARRA stimulus giveaway. Otherwise, tax-paying citizens might have learned about the wastefulness of Meaningful Use requirements for dentists – which nobody has the guts to reveal. That pretty much rules out brilliant Meaningful Use ideas.
Those who might patriotically defend the benefits of the tasks would do so, if they were idiots.
So how do dentists feel about their electronic dental records? It’s hard to tell. Over 96% of them are HIPAA-covered entities, making them vulnerable to audits, which can be “random” now. As one can imagine, very few dentists openly discuss EDRs. Do you think the silence is more likely to improve or harm patient care?
Even though thousands of physicians have participated in dozens of national surveys like Medical Economics’ over the last few years, as far as I know, not one survey of dentists’ opinions has ever been published. Perhaps someone can prove me wrong. I doubt it.
The Survey
The results from the Medical Economics survey include:
- 67% say that system functionality influences their decisions to purchase or switch systems.
- 48% say that cost is influencing their decisions to purchase or switch systems.
- Nearly half of physicians say that implementation of EHR systems has made the quality of patient care worse.
- 69% of respondents say that coordination of care with hospitals has not improved.
- 45% say they have spent more than $100,000 on an EHR
- 77% of the largest practices (more than 10 physicians) spent more than $200,000 on an EHR.
- 38% doubt their systems will still be viable in 5 years.
Assessment
Not long ago, Wisconsin became the first state to outlaw paper dental records, which are both cheaper and safer than digital.
So, is it still too soon for dentists and patients demand more transparency in dentistry? When costs and danger are hidden in dental care, it is always the last in line who suffer the most – clueless, trusting dental patients.
Am I right, Doc?
More:
- Sales of Dental Equipment and eDRs Down
- Military Electronic Dental Records [eDRs]
- Dr. Pruitt Invites Dr. Cohen to Discuss eDRs
- Cyber Insurance for Dentists
Conclusion
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Filed under: Information Technology, Pruitt's Platform | Tagged: Are Dentists Satisfied with their EDRs?, D. Kellus Pruitt DDS, eDRs, EHRs, HIPAA, meaningful use, Medical Economics |
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Here’s a taboo topic in dentistry
[Paper dental records have been outlawed in Minnesota]
See: “Minnesota’s 2015 Interoperable Electronic Health Record Mandate”
http://www.health.state.mn.us/e-health/hitimp/
Is this good or bad?
DK Pruitt DDS
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Digital radiography – a disappointment?
As it turns out, for many dentists, digital radiography has evidently been an expensive disappointment.
VIDEO: http://vimeo.com/89337204
It’s not often that the downsides of digital technology in dentistry are revealed. So how much longer do we have to wait on honesty concerning the true cost and danger of electronic dental records?
D. Kellus Pruitt DDS
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Believe me – yet?
My adversaries no longer say I’m nuts. So does that mean I’m better now?
If you are still finding my opinions difficult to believe, allow me to offer more evidence that EDRs could conceivably be rejected by dental patients in favor of dentists who don’t put their identities on computers.
“Exclusive: FBI warns healthcare sector vulnerable to cyber attacks,” by Jim Finkle for Reuters was posted a few hours ago.
http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/04/23/us-cybersecurity-healthcare-fbi-exclusiv-idUKBREA3M1Q920140423
“Cyber criminals were getting paid $20 for health insurance credentials on some underground markets, compared with $1 to $2 for U.S. credit card numbers prior to the Target breach, according cybersecurity firm Dell SecureWorks.
Some criminals use medical records to impersonate patients with diseases so they can obtain prescriptions for controlled substances, Grant said. Several U.S. states, including Massachusetts, have reported a surge in opiate addiction, along with a jump in heroin overdoses that the Obama administration has called a ‘public health crisis.’
Other criminals are purely interested in using the medical data for financial fraud.”
—————————–
How do my opinions smell now?
D. Kellus Pruitt DDS
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EDRs
“Electronic health records ripe for theft,” by David Pittman for Politico, July 13, 2014
http://www.politico.com/story/2014/07/electronic-health-records-theft-108856.html
“America’s medical records systems are flirting with disaster, say the experts who monitor crime in cyberspace. A hack that exposes the medical and financial records of hundreds of thousands of patients is coming, they say — it’s only a matter of when.”
So what does the American Dental Association say about EHRs?
“EHRs provide long-term savings, convenience,” no byline, ADA News, December 6, 2013
http://www.ada.org/en/publications/ada-news/2013-archive/december/ehrs-provide-long-term-savings-convenience
D. Kellus Pruitt DDS
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Dentists are misinformed about EDRs
Dentists are almost universally misinformed about the value of EDRs.
“New technology can be stressful for dentists,” by Andrew Wyrich for the Record (Hackensack, N.J.)
http://www.buffalonews.com/business/new-technology-can-be-stressful-for-dentists-20140721
My response:
“Now that Frey has completely digitized his X-ray system, he said he hopes to begin doing the same with the records of his patients to replace the thousands of manila folders in his office.”
Why?
Electronic dental records are already more expensive and dangerous for dentists and patients than paper records, and data breach liabilities for EDRs are only getting worse. Unless there is better security real soon, informed patients will inevitably seek out paper-based dentists – who will also be able to sell dental work for lower costs.
That may not be politically-correct, but it’s the truth.
D. Kellus Pruitt DDS
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Electronic dental records do not attract dental patients
Since “paperless” dentists have invested over $60,000 on digital records for their practices – not counting never-ending upgrades, training and bankruptcy-level liabilities – why are savings and safety over paper dental records never mentioned in dentists’ ads?
Anyone have a clue?
D. Kellus Pruitt DDS
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EDR transparency by default
Almost two weeks ago, dental practice consultant Katy Pfaffenberger-Gilber and I had a (brief) public discussion on Linkedin concerning the increasing cost and danger of dental EHRs, as well as the immorality of Delta Dental’s discounted dentistry without quality control.
(See: “Third parties who shun transparency are defenseless,” Linkedin, May 11, 2017). https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:6267720667467173889/
Even though the discussion attracted over 200 views, not one vendor has come forward to defend their products.
The silence says a lot: Dentistry’s censors are defenseless and hunkering down.
“You know, fightin’ in a basement offers a lot of difficulties. Number one being, you’re fightin’ in a basement!”
-Lt. Aldo Raine
[Inglourious Basterds]
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Those we trusted took advantage of us, Doc.
Savings from EHRs was a lie.
“All administrative tasks can be accomplished electronically. Dentists will have more time to devote to direct care. Cost savings to providers and plans will translate in less costly health care for consumers. Premiums and charges will be lowered.” – American Dental Association representative Dr. Robert Ahlstrom, describing the benefits of EHRs in testimony to Congress on July 31, 2007. (See: “Association testifies on HIPAA transaction standards,” by Craig Palmer for ADA News, August 23, 2007).
http://www.ada.org/prof/resources/pubs/adanews/adanewsarticle.asp?articleid=2641
(Considering that history has not favored Ahlstrom’s rosy testimony, ADA leadership understandably hid the article by disabling the link. Nevertheless, Palmer’s article can still be found in the paper edition of ADA News).
A decade later history reveals: “Electronic health records don’t cut administrative costs – We found no evidence that adoption of these expensive electronic health record systems reduced billing costs related to physician services” – The Harvard Gazette, February 20, 2018.
https://news.harvard.edu/gazette/story/2018/02/electronic-health-records-dont-reduce-administrative-costs/
Dr. Ahlstrom was recently honored by the ADA by naming an informatics award after him.
EHR Stakeholders lied about the safety of EHRs as well.
“Not only is it virtually impossible to fix our system s current problems with paper records, but they are a main cause of and contributor to alarming rates of medical errors, breathtaking levels of waste, and perpetually rising costs.” – Newt Gingrich. See: “Paper Kills 2.0 – How Health IT Can Help Save Your Life and Your Money” By Center for Health Transformation, with forward by Newt Gingrich and Tom Daschle, February 24, 2010.
7 years later:
“The ECRI Institute today released its list of top healthcare technology hazards for 2018, outlining major areas of concern for hospital administrators in the coming year. Many items involve patient infection from unclean equipment, but digital threats staked their place as equal or even greater dangers to patient safety.” See: “Cybersecurity Threats, Digital Failures Top Hospital Hazards List” By Ryan Black for Healthcare Analytics News, November 6, 2017.
http://www.hcanews.com/news/cybersecurity-threats-digital-failures-top-hospital-hazards-list
Why do we tolerate lies, Doc? Get mad or get screwed.
D. Kellus Pruitt DDS
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Want to know why paperless dentists don’t mention their EHRs in ads?
“Most US Consumers Worry about Electronic Health Records Breach – A full 80 percent of 1,000 US consumer surveyed by Unisys are concerned that hackers could access their electronic health records.”
Fred Donovan for HealthIT Security, October 24, 2018
https://healthitsecurity.com/news/most-us-consumers-worry-about-electronic-health-records-breach
Apart from emerging proof that electronic dental records are increasingly more expensive and dangerous than paper records while offering patients no tangible benefits over paper, if 80% of consumers don’t trust digital records, bringing unwanted attention to them in an advertisement is just stupid.
Starting in 2004, Newt Gingrich and ADA leadership successfully tricked tens of thousands of dentists into hastily adopting dangerous dental software. American dentists may be gullible, but they aren’t stupid.
D. Kellus Pruitt DDS
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