Your Opinion Is Requested…No Required…to Achieve Real Change in Health IT

Every day, we are inundated with information whether it originates from the television, radio, blogs, Twitter, Facebook or other social media formats. We are most definitely in the information age, and if anyone doubts that point, then, they have been totally out of touch with the world today. Consider some of the most recent events now in the news, such as the unfortunate situation of the Japanese people due to one of the world’s largest natural disasters or the use of social networking to arouse the citizens of a Middle Eastern country to achieve democracy. Heck, I even received a tweet from Sarah Palin this weekend extending her condolences over the passing of Geraldine Ferrara.

We really all have access so much information, and perhaps at times, too much information. Being in health information technology, we all have the advantage of having numerous resources, tools and technologies to assist improve our healthcare system and the care delivered to patients around the world.

Many times, we wish others would ask for our opinion on how to do something, or perhaps how to develop a new health IT software product. In today’s world, we have great opportunities and forums supported by information technology platforms to provide our opinion and feedback to others.

In this edition of the HIMSS Digital Office e-Newsletter, we ask for your opinion.

Please tell us how we can improve the newsletter to make it of value to you by completing this short survey about how you use the Digital Office in your work environment and be entered to win a copy of Change Management Strategies for an Effective EMR Implementation. Winners will be announced in the May issue of the Digital Office.

The HIMSS E-Prescribing Task Force also wants your input…especially from physicians, clinicians, pharmacists and office staff. The task force has created two surveys in an effort to understand the current state and use of information technology for Electronic Prior Authorization (ePA) and the Electronic Prescribing of Controlled Substances (EPCS).

Why are these surveys important?

The survey results will help identify how technology can be best used in a meaningful way for prescribers, pharmacists and the healthcare industry. It takes about six minutes to complete each survey. And if you want the results once they are available, just add your email address in body of the survey. 

Electronic Prior Authorizations (ePAs)

Electronic Prescribing of Controlled Substances (EPCS)

I ask that you even take our request one step further and go viral by sharing these two e-Prescribing surveys with your peers. We really would like the healthcare community to provide its feedback to help us improve the products and services offered to our members. 

But even more importantly, we need to hear your opinion in order for us to achieve real change!

What are some other healthcare topics where you have shared your opinion to affect real change in health IT?  I would be interested in hearing from you here on the HIMSS Blog.

And you can read the HIMSS Digital Office online and sign-up to receive it each month.