EMR Platform

[amaloney]

There is a number of us who never use, nor ever will use, Windows.
We use Macintosh or Linux.
Most of the EMR solutions that I have encountered on the web are Windows based. A few are cross-platform.
In postings recommending EMR software, would it be possible to establish a standard way of flagging to identify the platforms upon which the EMR software will run?
Perhaps simply using the first letters of the names of the platforms: L(inux) M(acintosh) W(indows) would suffice. These could be enclosed in square brackets, thus: [L] [LMW] etc

Al Maloney MD

[LGrant]

The average physician does not know what Linux is

[amaloney]

re: average physician does not know what Linux is

What a non-statement!
So what?

Does everything have to apply to the average? the mediocre?

What about providing for the few that are excellent?

In fact there are many physicians using Macintosh and Linux.
Those of us who do just might not want to waste our time looking up products we cannot use.

Please be constructive in your reply.

Al Maloney

[hirschr]

Al-
I think unfortunately that it would be too much work to try to standardize the postings like this on this forum. You will have better luck at the discusion board on www.elmr.com which discusses only EMR's and there are lots of people there that can help. Do a search and you'll find lots.

[amaloney]

Why is it too difficult for a physician with at least one university degree to add a few letters to a posting about a program?

[hirschr]

Mainly because there are lots of threads that are posted and there is no unified form to complete when posting a message. If you wanted to start a thread that lists the required elements for posting you could try and see if people post to it. But the threads are like playing telephone- the original question gets lost after 5 or 6 postings. And we have enough rules to follow with work; we don't need more for our "playing."

Also, www.elmr.com has a table that lists the OS for many systems. You can reference that.

[amaloney]

Huh??????
All I'm sugesting is that if I refer to a given program, I add a few letters out of courtesy to the reader who might just happen not to use Windows!
Is that too complicated?

[hirschr]

Can you tell me the fields required for HIPAA compliant claims? Can you tell me the preferred quinolone for every PBM that your patients use?
It's a great idea and a wonderful courtesy but it just isn't practical to expect this over all threads. It just won't happen, and not out of malice or disrespect for Linux, it's just too much to remember.

[jlively]

Linux and Mac both hold roughly the same market share of the operating system market at 3.2% each for a whopping total of 6.4%. Why should the people on this forum be concerned for such a small percentage of others that for whatever reason choose not to use THE MOST POPULAR OPERATING SYSTEM IN THE WORLD? You should probably check out http://www.linuxmednews.com

[LGrant]

Linux and Mac both hold roughly the same market share of the operating system market at 3.2% each for a whopping total of 6.4%. Why should the people on this forum be concerned for such a small percentage of others that for whatever reason choose not to use THE MOST POPULAR OPERATING SYSTEM IN THE WORLD? You should probably check out http://www.linuxmednews.com
Well stated, and goes back to what I stated earlier, not many physicians are that interested in computers, less so in an OS with only 3% market share.
LG

[amaloney]

What has market share got to do with my suggestion?

[MHDoc]

Why is it too difficult for a physician with at least one university degree to add a few letters to a posting about a program?

Try www.MacIntoshandLinuxPhysicianUsersOnly.com :rolleyes:

[ozzie]

I agree with you both lol..

I am very biased about this its due to 20 years of watching software in general..

The key here is not what platform the EMR product runs on as that can one of many its what platform the CLIENT runs on..
With the variences of windows you have bunch of exclusions..
Basically any EMR system would not be hippa compliant if running DOS or any DOS based operatiing systems windows 3.1 95 95 ME. Simply because you cannot lock the files structure on the disk ( hard drive).
Because an EMR system like Freemed run on Linux thats does not make it linux exclusive. However as the client needs only https then it can be run on nearly any OS out there.

I don't believe any server based EMR system should be sitting an a multi purpose server. For many reasons.. security being the main reason..
And you both are out there in left field with the OS market thingy as linux serves about 70 % of all internet traffic so the linux market penetration is not such factor in the big picture. In reality just as many doctors use linux as MS but they just don't realise it LOL

and a great reason NOT to use THE MOST POPULAR OPERATING SYSTEM IN THE WORLD is not hipaa compliant (http://www.ertl.jp/ITRON/home-e.html) LOL also DOS based system still are the most popular out there if you add in embedded system in plants and just about every point of sale system. Remember the rest of the world is not like the US they don't buy new OS because new versions come out ...heh

So in the end the most important question is what client operating system does the product need to run..

[amaloney]

In my original post, I made four statements followed by a question and a suggestion.

Why has the discussion degenerated into comments about my statements with no answer to my question?

The answer to my question might be «Yes» «No» «Maybe» with backup arguments to the answer(s).

[amaloney]

Try www.MacIntoshandLinuxPhysicianUsersOnly.com :rolleyes:
Thanx for the reply.
However, I cannot get the link to work.
Any suggestions?

Al

[jlively]

Ozzie,

Although you and I as "Network dudes" may be familiar and even comfortable with the *nixes fact is most users are not. I did not pull those statistics from my #$$, they are accurate(3.2% each Linux / Mac). You are also probably correct in the market share of Linux web servers. However, there is probably 1,000 to 10,000 clients for every server (yes, I did pull those from my #$$). Therefore I completely agree with the stats posted on market share.

Point is IT people often forget that they MUST cater to their users! To many of us get wrapped in this "hate Microsoft at all costs" crap but simple fact is they dominate the market, they are what my users know, they are what my users have at home, they are what my software runs on. That isn't going to change anytime soon. My users are docs and medical staff, most hardly even know that another operating system exists, and would definitely string me alive if I ever imposed on them learning a new OS. They are there to practice medicine and run a medical facility etc. I am there to support them!

[ozzie]

Thanx for the reply.
However, I cannot get the link to work.
Any suggestions?
Al
Yeah it's a joke I guess.. :rolleyes: thats why the link will not work.

This is not degenerated discussion but rather the usual BBS patter..

It seems that the consensus is no..
But relax its a wonderful day lets go and enjoy the day and leave the bickering to the best foods groups ..

[ozzie]

hate is not a word I use for anything ..
However I dont like or dislike ANY OS I have been crushed by them all. ROFL
I may seen to dislike MS products but thats is not the case but most of my clients use MS products and I am typing this on Windows 2003 enterprise server. And for most desktop users I suggest MS products also..
I was trying to point out that an important part of an EMR is really what platforn the CLIENT stuff runs on thats all..
People negate linux system because they believe you need to run linux on the desktop to use them and its not the case ..
Just like mac users as long as the client needs are http then it will work for macs too..


And the sun is shining and the beach awaits me

CYA

oz



Point is IT people often forget that they MUST cater to their users! To many of us get wrapped in this "hate Microsoft at all costs" crap but simple fact is they dominate the market, they are what my users know, they are what my users have at home, they are what my software runs on. That isn't going to change anytime soon. My users are docs and medical staff, most hardly even know that another operating system exists, and would definitely string me alive if I ever imposed on them learning a new OS. They are there to practice medicine and run a medical facility etc. I am there to support them!

[amaloney]

Yeah it's a joke I guess.. :rolleyes: thats why the link will not work.

This is not degenerated discussion but rather the usual BBS patter..

It seems that the consensus is no..
But relax its a wonderful day lets go and enjoy the day and leave the bickering to the best foods groups ..


I guess I suffer from an overdose of "Male Linear Thinking" = Logic :eek: :D


Al