Dear FOSS vendors, I have been generally concerned that organizations that do analysis/evaluations of EHR systems tend to be biases towards proprietary systems, or more generally clients. No one I have talked to believes that KLAS for instance, is credible.
Recently I met Arthur Gasch and he made a good pitch that his EHR evaluation tool was free from the kinds of financial bias that seem to be the norm in our industry. He takes a fee from vendors to be in his system and he takes a fee to let clients search the system. But he does not take 'consulting fees' that seem to be norm in the industry. After hearing, this I have been working with him to create a 'Open Source License' button in his EHR selection tool. I think if people were aware of the basic implications of a FOSS license, and were aware that there was an option here, they would often choose the right path. Arthur and I are still working on how to include this selector in his EHR evaluation tool, but I want to let you know about his service and so I am forwarding you his pitch. I will be endorsing tools like this that inform users about the option of FOSS and have some kind of commitment to not take extra money from a particular vendor. -FT ---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: Arthur Gasch <art.ga...@medsp.com> Date: Thu, Jun 11, 2009 at 5:32 AM Subject: Updated invitation letter To: fred trotter <fred.trot...@gmail.com> Dear Vendor > > From time to time we hear of open source EMRs. Fred Trotter does an > excellent job promoting them, as alternatives to proprietary, > CCHIT-certified EMRs, but the question remains - functionally, how > competitive are they. > MSP would like to offer you the opportunity to answer that question > definitively. You can register your current product on the MSP EHR Selector > (www.ehrselector.com), where its capabilities can be matched against our > database > of other EMR product features. The normal fee is $795, but MSP will waiver > that for six months, if you will complete the product profile and put the > system up live. If, after 6 months, you want to continue, pay just $495 for > the next year - the price we charged for an EMR developer subscription > 3-years ago. > > Open source EMRs could get a fair number of orders if they can show that > they are truly competitive, as physicians visit us from collaborating > organizations that include HIMSS, MGMA, ACC, AGA, AHQA and ACP, they search > our site for more than a few general requirements, so they are sure what > they are getting. There are plenty of deals to go around, what is missing is > any open source vendors. We invite open source vendors to check out the EHR > Selector by visiting the site <http://www.ehrselector.com>, and by > watching a brief video <http://www.ehrselector.com/ehr_video.wmv>. Here > are some recent enhancements we have made to the EHR Selector which you may > not be aware of. > > - 23 new practice specialties added, 45 total practice specialties now > supported. > - Simple, Search-and-Assert user interface. > - New EMR Profile Search feature - Pick ASP Profile and assert all ASP > criteria in 2 mouse clicks > - Regained assertion by individual criteria for our experienced users > and EMR consultants based on 600 individual criteria available > - 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009 CCHIT certifications, expanded from CCHIT > certification. > - All 2009 PQRI measures added > - New EMR sites - SNF, Home Health, Hospital in addition to Group > Practice > - Drill down of hospital EMR into ED, OR-PACU, OB, Adult ICU, Neonatal > and General Ward > - Expanded the Search feature into a Search & Select user interface > - Reorganized all Sections into logical sequence > - Added Consultants, Legal Services, Accounting, Post Install IT > Service, more > - Support for all major User Interfaces (Scanning, dictation, Speech, > Handwriting, Pick list, etc.) > - A new ARRA Meaningful Use feature Flag - features will be flagged > when announced. > - HIPAA compliance flags by features > - New Literature Request button > - Expanded DEMO button that now emails and also runs live demo (if you > provide one) > - Instant Vendor GO LIVE for all non-Vetted Items > - New Vendor Sales Activity reports > - MORE... > > If open source EMR want the widest possible exposure, being on the MSP EHR > Selector is a way to achieve it. If you would like to take advantage of this > offer, please contact Betty at 732-219-5090 X20 and she can provide a login > and password instantly. It usually takes 1 to 1.5 hours to complete the > feature summary, and most features go live then. Forty remain until vetting > occurs, something we do within a couple of days at a mutually convenient > time with > your company. You participation for the first six months will cost you > nothing but your time to complete the EMR profile. > > I hope you will join the other vendor systems here. > > Kind regards, > > > Arthur Gasch > Founder, Medical Strategic Planning, Inc. > 5 Shelbern Drive > Lincroft, NJ 07738 > > 732-219-5090 X20 Voice > 732-979-7001 Mobile > > www.medsp.com > www.ehrselector.com > > Confidentiality Notice: The information contained in this e-mail > transmission is intended only for use of the individual or entity named > above. This e-mail transmission, and any documents, files, previous e-mail > transmissions or other information attached to it, may contain confidential > information that is legally privileged. If you are not the intended > recipient of this e-mail transmission, or the employee or agent responsible > for delivering it to the intended recipient, you are hereby notified that > any disclosure, dissemination, distribution, copying or other use of this > transmission or any of the information contained in or attached to it is > strictly prohibited. If you have received this e-mail transmission in error, > or you do not wish to receive any further communications from us, please > immediately notify us by return e-mail transmission or by telephone at the > number above or at the address above, and destroy the original e-mail > transmission and its attachments without reading or saving it in any manner. > Thank you. > > Fred Trotter http://www.fredtrotter.com -- Fred Trotter http://www.fredtrotter.com [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]