Wednesday, May 02, 2012

AHA declares War on Patient Access to their data. a 30 day delay is NOT meaningful use #EHR #EMR #HIT

This email hit my inbox from friend and tireless patient advocate ReginaHolliday:

Dear Amazing Friends, Gallery Walkers, Activists and fellow Rabble Rousers,

Lets make some waves.

The AHA American Hospital Association made a decision to post comment on Meaningful Use Stage 2 saying that hospitals need 30 days to give patients data post discharge.  This is in direct opposition of requirements in stage one Meaningful Use which is four days as well as completely opposed to the recommendations from many of us that patient data be made available in a real time fashion.

This is also a slap in the face to me and Fred and our entire family.  It is a slap in the face to many of you who have worked so hard these past four years for patient data access.

They decided to do this days before their annual meeting in the The Washington Hilton hotel down the street from where I live. http://www.aha.org/advocacy-issues/annual-meeting/12-schedule.shtml

I know many of you have attended events at this hotel.  It has an excellent street view and plenty of public sidewalk.  I say we have an action on SUNDAY MAY 6th during their first conference day.  I know several of you on this thread have planned actions like this so I would love your input.  Let's see if we can get some visibility on this issue the day before public comment ends. 

Regina Holliday

The Status Quo is not serving patients well. We need to hold our hospitals and our health system to a higher standard. If you, or a loved one is faced with a life threatening condition, 30 days delay can be the difference between life and a death sentence. 

Patients MUST demand access to THEIR data in near real time. The AHA is still applying 1960's thinking to the 21st Century.

The Health Care industry MUST move to real time. If the industry perpetuates this type of delayed update then EMRs will continue to languish as a laborious paperwork exercise, a burden on doctors and clinicians, and never rise to a position where they are an essential component in delivering effective, safe and cost effective care to all of us. 

If this was a sport it would be like holding the superbowl with no TV coverage and then announcing the winners and a handful of game statistics in Mid March to the teams that played.

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