Doctors barred from discussing glitches in U.S.-funded software

[mahatmakanejeeves]

Right, this is old stuff. I'm clearing out inboxes at the end of the year.

Doctors barred from discussing glitches in U.S.-funded software

By Darius Tahir | 09/11/15 11:54 AM EDT

President Barack Obama’s stimulus put taxpayers on the hook for $30 billion in electronic medical records, many of which have turned out to be technological disasters.

But don’t expect to hear about the problems from doctors or hospitals. Most of them are under gag orders not to discuss the specific failings of their systems — even though poor technology in hospitals can have lethal consequences.

A POLITICO investigation found that some of the biggest firms marketing electronic record systems inserted “gag clauses” in their taxpayer-subsidized contracts, effectively forbidding health care providers from talking about glitches that slow their work and potentially jeopardize patients.

POLITICO obtained 11 contracts through public record requests from hospitals and health systems in New York City, California, and Florida that use six of the biggest vendors of digital record systems. With one exception, each of the contracts contains a clause protecting potentially large swaths of information from public exposure. This is the first time the existence of the gag clauses has been conclusively documented.

[Scuba]

1. Having spent three decades dealing with the software vendors in question, I can assure you...

... that they'll use any and every dirty trick they can to hide their problems, bilk their customers and increase their profits.

[Old Codger]

2. Everyone Thinks

Dilbert is a comic

[bananas]

3. Didn't hear about it, thanks for posting. nt

[bemildred]

4. Really gives one confidence in the health care system.

You would not think it was all that tricky. A sort of medical wikipedia, but private, only for medical providers to use.