[Blueflag]

Several thoughts —

EMRs *ARE* a good idea.

EPIC *does* act like an 800 pound gorilla, and makes a decent end-to-end solution as long as you buy EVERYTHING from EPIC, and do it their way, NOT following your protocols.

ICD-10 is well-intentioned, but places a big burden on the Provider from a data entry standpoint.

Meaningful Use is not by itself a bad idea, because IF it is ever realized your health records will be your own, and WILL be portable from provider to provider. The P in HIPAA does stand for portability after all.

YMMV.

[CaspersGh0sts]

EMRs also:

1) take up invaluable time entering in more data (this cannot be repeated enough).
2) create reimbursement systems based on what is documented moreso than what is done.
3) are at times unweidly
4) inevitably go down from time to time.

[slowhandluke]

EMRs *ARE* a good, but utopian, idea.

Whatever possible good comes from EMR, it is overshadowed by the possible evil that can be done, and will eventually be done because the data is now in the hands of an unaccountable bureaucracy.