Opinion

Open-source code is best path to creating physician-friendly EMRs

LETTER — Posted Dec. 24, 2007

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Regarding "Medicare pilot project to pay more to doctors who use EMRs" (Article, Nov. 26): May I suggest that physicians are focusing too much on today and not planning for tomorrow when it comes to electronic medical records.

We should not be looking for short-term cash to get locked into systems that are sure to become more expensive to maintain in the future and that we have little capacity to control. We (including the AMA) should be looking at open-source code systems, not only as a cost-saving measure but more importantly as a way for physicians to maintain control over the architecture of these information systems and thus the way in which they influence the day-to-day work of practicing medicine.

Other countries are way ahead of the United States on this. In the words of one participant, open source is the best opportunity the world has (so far) to achieve longitudinal, interoperable, computable health information systems.

Bruce L. Wilder, MD, Pittsburgh

Note: This item originally appeared at http://www.ama-assn.org/amednews/2007/12/24/edlt1224.htm.

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