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Depression is no joke. It’s the best that you can identify it and tackle it at the earliest stage. Or else it’ll most probably develop into more serious illness.
The depression software is called Optimism Mac OS X.
If you have a geeky title=”Depression Optimism Software” alt=”Depression Treatment Software With Optimism”>
Neither snap judgements nor sleeping on a problem are any better than conscious thinking for making complex decisions, according to new research.
The finding debunks a controversial 2006 research result asserting that unconscious thought is superior for complex decisions, such as buying a house or car. If anything, the new study suggests that conscious thought leads to better choices.
Since its publication two years ago by a Dutch research team in the journal Science, the earlier finding had been used to encourage decision-makers to make “snap” decisions (for example, in the best-selling book Blink, by Malcolm Gladwell) or to leave complex choices to the powers of unconscious thought (”Sleep on it”, Dijksterhuis et al., Science, 2006).
But in the new study, to be published in The Quarterly Journal of Experimental Psychology, scientists ran four experiments in which participants were presented with complex decisions and asked to choose the best option immediately (”blink”), after a period of conscious deliberation (”think”), or after a period of distraction (”sleep on it”), which is claimed to encourage “unconscious thought processes”.
In all experiments, there was some evidence that conscious deliberation can lead to better choices and little evidence for superiority of choices made “unconsciously”. Faced with making decisions such as choosing a rental apartment and buying a car, most participants made choices predicted by their subjective preferences for certain attributes (for example, safety, security, colour or price), regardless of the mode of thinking employed.
Unconscious thought is claimed to be an active process during which information is organized, weighted, and integrated in an optimal fashion. Its benefits are argued to be strongest when a decision is complex - one with multiple options and attributes - because unconscious thought does not suffer from the capacity limitations that hobble conscious thought.
“Claims that we can make superior ’snap’ decisions by trusting intuition or through the ‘power’ of unconscious thought have received a great deal of attention in the media,” says University of New South Wales psychologist, Dr Ben Newell, lead author of the new study.
Among the headlines that followed the 2006 research are these: “Dilemma? Don’t give it a thought,” The Times, 17-02-06; “Trust your gut instinct when those shopping decisions get tough, say scientists,” The Telegraph, UK, 17-02-06; “Big decision time? Best to sleep on it,” Reuters News, 16-02-06.
“At best, these sorts of headlines are misleading,” says Dr Newell. “At worst, they’re outright dangerous. In stark contrast to claims made by the Dutch research team and in the media, we found very little evidence of the superiority of unconscious thought for complex decisions.
“On the contrary, our research suggests that unconscious thought is more susceptible to irrelevant factors, such as how recently information has been seen rather than how important it is. If conscious thinkers are given adequate time to encode material, or are allowed to consult material while they deliberate, their choices are at least as good as those made ‘unconsciously’.”
Some patients might feel like they spend more time in the waiting room than actually talking with their doctor, but a new review of studies suggests that these consultations would not be much different if patients had more face time with their physicians.
In five studies conducted in the United Kingdom, doctors did not discuss more problems, prescribe more drugs, run more tests, make more referrals or do more examinations when they had a few additional minutes with patients.
“There was some evidence that blood pressure was checked and smoking discussed more often when more time was available,” said Andrew Wilson, M.D., of England’s University of Leicester, who wrote the review with University of Northumbria researcher Susan Childs.
However, he said, “The most consistent finding was that several aspects of doctors’ behavior remained unchanged.
The review appears in the latest issue of The Cochrane Library, a publication of The Cochrane Collaboration, an international organization that evaluates medical research. Systematic reviews like this one draw evidence-based conclusions about medical practice after considering both the content and quality of existing medical trials on a topic.
The patients in the five studies did not feel more satisfied with their care when they were able to consult longer with their doctors. However, in each study, consultation times were only slightly longer than usual, and might have not been enough extra time to make a difference in the doctors’ routine or the patients’ satisfaction, the researchers write.
A 2007 study in the United States found that patients’ visit times with primary care doctors could vary from six to 72 minutes for the same condition. University of California-Davis researcher Estella Geraghty, M.D., who led the 2007 study, said that factors from a doctor’s personal style to whether the doctor practiced in an HMO could affect visit length.
The review discloses that Andrew Wilson was an author of one of the included studies.
With more employees working in teams, it is critical to find ways to enable teams to be more creative in their work. A new article in Strategic Entrepreneurship Journal explores how imagination, insight, and creative ideas develop, evolve, and spread from one team member to another, ultimately increasing the team’s ability to think creatively about a range of problems.
The article highlights the fact that although creative ideas occur in the minds of individuals, and can arise in part from having personal ties to diverse others, ways of thinking about and approaching problems also can be jointly developed by the team. In essence, there is a team mindset that is greater than the sum of individual team members. When this synergistic process occurs, teams have the capacity to achieve high levels of creativity.
Christina E. Shalley, Professor of Organizational Behavior at the Georgia Tech College of Management and Jill Perry-Smith, Assistant Professor of Organization and Management at Emory University develop the concept of “team creative cognition,” which refers to a shared repertoire of cognitive processes among team members that provides a framework for how the team approaches solving problems creatively.
Team creative cognition is transferred and infused within a team to facilitate the team’s creativity. Shalley and Perry-Smith propose that team member centrality in the team’s sociocognitive network, as well as the evolution of the entrepreneurial team, are critical to fully understanding the infusion process and the resulting emergence of team creative cognition.
“If we can learn how team members approach problem solving and how members’ creative problem solving approaches transfer from the individual to the team and become collective, cognitive processes of the team this can enable us to help facilitate teams in trying to be more creative at work,” the authors conclude.
This study is published in the Strategic Entrepreneurship Journal.
A common gender stereotype assumes that men are more aggressive and women are more emotional. In negotiation, men are assumed to be more assertive and women better at fostering relationships. However, a new study published in Negotiation and Conflict Management Research reveals that when people are trying to make a positive impression, they may behave in ways that contradict gender stereotypes.
Jared Curhan of MIT’s Sloan School of Management and Jennifer Overbeck of the University of Southern California ’s Marshall School of Business assigned 190 MBA students to same-sex groups to represent either a high-status recruiter or a low-status job candidate engaged in a standard employment negotiation simulation. Half of the participants were offered an additional cash incentive to make a positive impression on their negotiation counterparts.
When incentivized to make a positive impression on their counterparts, men and women in the high-status role acted in ways that contradicted gender stereotypes. Women negotiated more aggressively and men negotiated in a more appeasing manner. Being motivated to make a positive impression may have cued negotiators to counter whatever negative tendencies they believe others see in them and to thus display a contrasting demeanor.
Women who are motivated to make a positive impression, perhaps in an effort to refute the stereotype that they are weak or ineffective negotiators, may advocate more strongly for their own interests. In contrast, men who are motivated to make a positive impression, perhaps in an effort to refute the stereotype that they are overly aggressive, may yield to the demands of the other side.
The success of the strategies was mixed. Men’s strategy of behaving in a more conciliatory fashion apparently succeeded in producing a positive impression in the counterpart’s eyes. However, the women’s strategy of behaving more assertively failed to create a more positive impression. Instead, women who behaved more assertively, were judged more negatively.
“Our findings have long-term implications for how we teach negotiation,” the authors conclude. “Men who try to make a positive impression by being conciliatory risk forfeiting their own economic outcomes and women who try to make positive impressions by being assertive can risk damaging their relationships. Thus, men and women may benefit from different strategies when it comes to balancing the tension in negotiation between empathy and assertiveness.”
This study is published in the journal Negotiation and Conflict Management Research.
Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee ranking member Mike Enzi (R-Wyo.) recently introduced a bill (S 3354) that would encourage physicians and other medical professionals to volunteer their services to patients who cannot afford or access care, CQ HealthBeat reports. The Volunteer Health Care Program Act would provide grants that states would use in part to assume medical liability risk for physicians and ensure patients can recover damages from medical malpractice.
According to Enzi, the bill would encourage physicians and other medical professionals to volunteer their services at clinics and community health centers, with a focus on recently retired physicians who no longer have medical liability insurance that allows them to offer such care.
He said, “There is an overwhelming need for volunteer medical care among the poor in the United States, but medical liability concerns discourage doctors from providing voluntary services” (Parnass, CQ HealthBeat, 8/5).
Reprinted with permission from kaisernetwork.org. You can view the entire Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report, search the archives, and sign up for email delivery at kaisernetwork.org/email . The Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report is published for kaisernetwork.org, a free service of The Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation. ? 2007 Advisory Board Company and Kaiser Family Foundation. All rights reserved.
Many people living with lupus struggle to maintain full-time employment. Their health problems might require them to take time off from work to go to doctor’s appointments or to recover from flares. Lupus symptoms may also make it difficult for individuals who are working to fulfill all their job responsibilities.
People living with lupus may not know what their employment rights are, especially when it comes to asking for reasonable accommodation, or if their employer discriminates against them due to their disability status.
Judy Keenan, a Supervisory Trial Attorney at the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), educated members of the SLE Workshop on their employment rights specifically guaranteed under federal law.
There are laws at the city, state, and federal level that protect individuals from different types of employment discrimination. An example of one such important law is the Americans with Disability Act (ADA). The ADA is a federal civil rights law that prohibits employment discrimination against individuals with disabilities.
Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC)
The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) is a federal government agency that enforces federal laws that prohibit employment discrimination. These laws include, but are not limited to:
* Title VII of the Civil Rights Act, which prohibits discrimination due to race, color, religion, sex, or national origin.
* Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1976, which provides protection from discrimination of people over the age of 40.
* Equal Pay Act of 1963: which prohibits wage discrimination due to gender.
* Americans with Disabilities Act, which is a federal civil rights law that prohibits employment discrimination against individuals with a disability.
In addition to enforcing employment laws, the EEOC also provides training to employers in an effort to prevent employment discrimination.
Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)
As Ms. Keenan explained to the group, the ADA is a federal civil rights law that prohibits employment discrimination against people with a disability. The law protects against discrimination in the hiring and application process. The law also prohibits discrimination in the terms and conditions of employment. An example would be giving someone less desirable job duties due to their disability status.
The ADA also protects individuals from pay and promotion discrimination; an individual cannot be paid less or promoted differently due to their disability status. Included in the ADA is the prohibition of harassment of a person for their disability status. The law also prohibits retaliation against individuals who engage in protected activities, which includes asking for reasonable accommodation, seeking assistance from the EEOC, or asking that discrimination against themselves or others be stopped.
In addition to these protections, the ADA also regulates when and what type of medical information or exams employers can request. The ADA also has requirements for how disability status and medical information is to be kept confidential.
Ms. Keenan pointed out that the ADA is very complicated - and potentially confusing - legislation that different courts may interpret differently. In addition, there may be local city or state laws that may provide additional protection.
She also explained to the group that the ADA only provides protection if your employer has 15 or more employees. In addition, the law protects discrimination against qualified persons with a disability. In order to receive legal protection under the law, an individual must be able to perform the essential functions of the job, with or without reasonable accommodation, and meet the requirements of education, training, and skills of the job that he or she wants or has.
Under the ADA, a disability is defined as a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities. An impairment is interpreted to be a condition that affects one or more body systems, e.g., the respiratory system, musculo-skeletal system, digestive system, or the emotional and psychological systems.
Ms. Keenan also shared an important point: namely, that many people with lupus would be able to meet the criteria for impairment; however, a diagnosis of lupus is not enough to give you protection under the ADA.
These impairments have to substantially limit one or more major life activities, which can include (but are not limited to) caring for oneself, walking, sitting, standing, or sleeping. It is important to note that different courts interpret what are considered to be major life activities.
Medical Information
Under the ADA, an employer cannot ask about an individual’s disability during the application process. They are also forbidden from requesting medical exams and drug tests during this process. An employer can ask an individual if he or she is able to carry out, with responsible accommodations, the essential functions of the job.
Once an offer of employment is made, an employer can request drug testing or a medical exam if it is being requested of all employees.
There are special circumstances when an employer can request a medical exam or medical information. An example of such a circumstance is when there is a possible safety concern or the possibility that an employee cannot do the essential functions of the job.
Employers can also request medical information if an employee requests an accommodation or asks for sick leave.
None of the of the medical information gathered by an employer is to be used to discriminate against an employee.
Confidentiality
The ADA has regulations on confidentiality. All medical information that is collected about an individual, including requests for reasonable accommodation, are to be kept strictly confidential. Ms. Keenan explained that this information is not to be stored in an employee’s personnel file, but kept separately.
There are certain circumstances where an employer may have to disclose such confidential information; an example would be disclosing such information to those responsible for safety matters or emergency situations, which an employee might need to provide for additional assistance in case of an emergency. Even in such circumstances, only limited information is to be shared.
Reasonable Accommodation
A reasonable accommodation is an adjustment or change to job duties, environment, or schedule provided by an employer, so that a person with a disability can benefit from equal employment opportunities. An individual with a disability may request reasonable accommodation from an employer during the hiring/application process or while employed.
Under federal law, an employer has a duty to provide reasonable accommodation unless it provides an undue hardship. In order to receive such an accommodation, an individual has to demonstrate that they are disabled and that the requested accommodation is reasonable and related to their disability.
Ms. Keenan notes that reasonable accommodation can include many different things, because disabilities can affect people in different ways, and each person’s working situation is different. A reasonable accommodation requested by one person living with lupus may not be needed by another person with lupus. Some examples of reasonable accommodations that someone with lupus might request include the following:
* Leave time to recover from a flare
* A modified work schedule
* Working from home
* Special equipment that might reduce fatigue or pain while working.
An employee who would like to receive a reasonable accommodation can request one from their employer in a plain letter written in English, or in person. Ms. Keenan explained that depending on the relationship that one has with their employer, they may feel more comfortable having a discussion with a supervisor; others who do not have such a level of trust may wish to submit their request in writing. Employers may request additional information about the impairment or disability.
Employers are not required to provide such accommodations if it will provide undue hardship, such as those accommodations that would lead to significant difficulty or expense.
The Washington State Department of Health has taken disciplinary actions or withdrawn charges against health care providers in our state.
The department’s Health Professions Quality Assurance Office works with boards, commissions, and advisory committees to set licensing standards for more than 70 health care professions (e.g., medical doctors, nurses, counselors).
Information about health care providers is on the agency Web site. Click on “Provider Credential Search” on the left hand side of the Department of Health home page (www.doh.wa.gov). The site includes information about a health care provider’s license status, the expiration and renewal date of their credential, disciplinary actions and copies of legal documents issued after July 1998. This information is also available by calling 360-236-4700. Consumers who think a health care provider acted unprofessionally are also encouraged to call and report their complaint.
Chelan
Clark
Grays Harbor
Island
King
Pierce
Skagit
Snohomish
Spokane
Thurston
Whitman
Chelan County
In July 2008 the Licensed Mental Health Counselor Program reinstated the license of April S. Shipowick (LH00006835).
Clark County
In July 2008 the Nursing Assistant Program reinstated the registration of Mary S. Benavides (NA00032178).
In July 2008 the Emergency Medical Services and Trauma System Program charged paramedic Darryl J. Courson (ES00123802) with unprofessional conduct. He allegedly failed to comply with terms and conditions set against his license.
In July 2008 the Nursing Assistant Program placed the certification of Jamie M. Kennedy (NC10067604) on probation for two years. She was convicted of obstructing a law enforcement officer, driving while her license was suspended, and malicious mischief. She must comply with terms and conditions set against her license.
Grays Harbor County
In June 2008 the Office of Emergency Medical Services and Trauma System charged emergency medical technician Jason C. Jackson (ES01164302) with unprofessional conduct. He allegedly sexually assaulted and harassed co-workers and an inmate at the facility where he was employed.
Island County
In July 2008 the Chiropractic Commission charged chiropractor Bruce M. Linehan (CH00002852) with unprofessional conduct. His license to practice as a chiropractor is suspended. He allegedly provided chiropractic treatments to numerous patients for a fee while his license was suspended.
In June 2008 the Nursing Commission reinstated the license of registered nurse Ellen L. Shark (RN00146098). She must comply with terms and conditions set against her license.
King County
In June 2008 the Nursing Commission lifted the suspension against the license of registered nurse Karla Bigley (RN00165892). She must comply with terms and conditions set against her license.
In July 2008 the Board of Hearing and Speech charged speech language pathologist Amber M. Brockl (LL00003256) with unprofessional conduct. She allegedly falsified billing records and time spent with clients. She is also known as Amber M. Ames.
In July 2008 the Registered Counselor Program reinstated the credential of Eric R. Daniels (RC00053837).
In July 2008 the Board of Pharmacy charged pharmacy technician Arleea Dobson (VA00049937) with unprofessional conduct. She allegedly diverted controlled substances from her place of employment for her own use.
In July 2008 the Medical Commission modified the agreed order against Rex N. Gentry (MD00016448). He must comply with terms and conditions set against his license.
In July 2008 the Nursing Assistant Program charged reactivation applicant Maria Guadalupe Hill (NA00018151) with unprofessional conduct. She was convicted of promoting prostitution.
In July 2008 the Chemical Dependency Professional and Registered Counselor Programs reprimanded Lelan C. Jamison (CP00003694 and RC00028374). Jamison got a loan from a client and failed to pay it back in a timely manner. He must comply with terms and conditions set against his license.
In July 2008 the Massage Practitioner Program placed the license of Brian C. Jewett (MA00021909) on probation for 18 months. He had three forged prescriptions filled for oxycontin under three different physician’s names. He must comply with terms and conditions set against his license.
In July 2008 the Registered Counselor Program reinstated the registration of Lisa M. Medearis (RC00052494).
In July 2008 the Nursing Assistant Program entered into an agreed order with Afemuya Mesfin (NC10002622). She pulled the hair of a patient and jerked the patient’s head back. She must comply with terms and conditions set against her license.
In June 2008 the Nursing Commission modified the agreed order with registered nurse Steven F. Parry (RN00049247). He remains on probation for five years and must comply with terms and conditions set against his license.
Pierce County
In July 2008 the Nursing Commission charged registered nurse Deanna L. Fox (RN00138162) with unprofessional conduct. She allegedly failed to comply with previous terms and conditions set against her license.
In July 2008 the Board of Pharmacy charged pharmacy technician Michael Hendrickson (VA00012567) with unprofessional conduct. He allegedly diverted controlled substances from his place of employment for his own use.
In July 2008 the Nursing Assistant Program reinstated the certification of Wyita L. Ross (NC10007670).
Skagit County
In June 2008 the Nursing Commission reinstated the license of registered nurse Jolynne P. Brooks (RN00059030). Her license is subject to probation and she must comply with terms and conditions set against her license.
Snohomish County
In July 2008 the Nursing Assistant Program denied the application of Monica S. Dean (NA00202026). She was arrested for assault, failed to disclose the arrest to the department, and failed to respond to department inquiries regarding the arrest. She cannot reapply for five years.
Spokane County
In July 2008 the Nursing Assistant Program reinstated the certification of Cody Colleen Grainger (NC10045414). She is also known as Cody Colleen Small.
Thurston County
In July 2008 the Acupuncture and Registered Counselor Programs placed the credentials of Frederick W. Klemmer (AC00002147 and RC00049628) on probation for two years. He exceeded the scope of acupuncture by using therapeutic counseling in his treatment of a patient. He must comply with terms and conditions set against his license.
In June 2008 the Nursing Commission reinstated the license of registered nurse Stacey Loewen-Hays (RN00148268) and placed her license on probation. She must comply with terms and conditions set against her license.
In July 2008 the Board of Pharmacy charged pharmacy technician Tamara L. Mildenberger (VA00019877) with unprofessional conduct. She allegedly diverted drugs for her own use.
In June 2008 the Dental Commission reinstated the license of Richard L. Penney (DE00006986).
In July 2008 the Acupuncture Program charged Russell N. Wahlund (AC00000569) with unprofessional conduct. He allegedly touched a patient inappropriately during acupuncture treatments.
Whitman County
In July 2008 the Nursing Assistant Program placed the certification of Erin M. Bowman (NC10072799) on probation for 30 months. She had a sexual and romantic relationship with a former patient and documented administering medications to a patient when she was not in the facility.
Note to Editors: Health care providers charged with unprofessional conduct have 20 days to respond to the Department of Health in writing. The case then enters the settlement process. If no disciplinary agreement can be reached, the case will go to a hearing.
Hospices serving Medicare beneficiaries will see a 2.5 percent increase in their payments for 2009 according to a final regulation published today by CMS.
The increase in the hospice wage index is the net result of a 3.6 percent increase in the so-called “market basket” indicator of cost, offset by a 1.1 percent decrease in payments to hospices as CMS phases out a transitional payment to these providers.
As published in the Federal Register on July 31, CMS is phasing-out an adjustment to the hospice wage index that was put into place over 10 years ago to help hospices through a transition to the new wage index. Phasing-out this special adjustment will save Medicare $2.18 billion over five years. It is estimated that payments to hospices would decrease by approximately 1.1 percent for FY 2009, the first year of the three-year phase-out of the adjustment.
This final rule reflects the ongoing efforts of CMS to support beneficiary access to hospice services while maintaining responsible financial stewardship of the Medicare Trust Fund.
BACKGROUND
In 1997, the agency, then the Health Care Financing Administration (HCFA), wanted to change from an outdated wage index to a more current and accurate method for determining the hospice wage index. In order to minimize disruption to beneficiary access to hospice services, a special adjustment was applied when computing the hospice wage index. This special adjustment, known as the “budget neutrality adjustment factor” (BNAF), is based on 24 year-old wage data.
The number of Medicare-certified hospices has increased significantly since 1997, up by 69.6percent. Hospice expenditures are estimated to be about $10.2 billion for 2007. The Medicare Payment Advisory Commission (MedPAC) reports that through 2015, hospice expenditures are projected to grow at a rate that outpaces those projected for hospitals, skilled nursing facilities, physician services and home health care.
Final Rule Details
The BNAF is to be phased-out over three years, beginning with a 25 percent reduction in FY 2009, an additional 50 percent reduction (for a total of a 75 percent reduction) in FY 2010, and a complete elimination in FY 2011.
This reduction to the wage index portion of hospice payments is partially offset by the annual market basket increase, which is 3.6 percent for fiscal 2009, The hospice wage index, which is based on the unadjusted hospital wage index, is updated annually and is a more accurate index of area wage costs. Phasing out the budget neutrality adjustment also makes the hospice wage index more consistent with the home health wage index. Both hospices and home health agencies are home-based benefits which compete in the same labor markets.
This rule also makes final a change in the way multi-campus hospitals report their wage data, which affects the hospital wage index used to derive the hospice wage index.
Taken together, these changes will pay hospices accurately, maintain the fiscal integrity of the Medicare program, and allow continued access to hospice services for Medicare beneficiaries.
Physicians who do not use the tools of information technology (IT) such as electronic health records and computerized entry of prescriptions could fall short of professional standards, according to a new review.
Although technology cannot replace thoughtfulness and caring, it is increasingly difficult to be a competent doctor without tech support, contends David Mechanic, Ph.D., of Rutgers University in the June issue of The Milbank Quarterly.
However, it is important to view health information technology “as a tool and not as a substitute for physicians’ vigilance and judgment,’” said Mechanic, who analyzed scientific literature, Web sites and his own experience working with medical professionals.
The “increasing complexity and demands of patient care, along with an explosion of medical knowledge, can make it increasingly challenging for doctors to provide care that is fair, economical and aligned with the best practices,” Mechanic said. Tools like evidence-based treatment guidelines delivered to a doctor’s computer “can help physicians overcome some of these barriers - barriers that must be overcome if they are to be considered competent physicians delivering the best care.”
“In addition to having more active patients, physicians now have many more treatments, options and choices to consider and explain,” he said.
E-mail communication with patients, automated reminders and specialized Web sites and disease registries can help doctors do more in the smaller amount of time allotted for patient care, the study suggests. Automated reminders can also help patients stay on top of their chronic diseases.
However, physicians in the United States have been slow to adopt health information technology. Because of high implementation costs, larger managed care programs and large group practices are more likely to use these systems than smaller independent doctors’ offices, according to Mechanic.
However, Mechanic and others say cost is not the only factor that could make smaller practices - which make up the majority of physician care in the United States - reluctant to adopt new health information technology systems.
“One thing that we’re seeing is that in order for health IT to be used effectively, the software has to be modifiable to fit physician needs and work flow. Software also has to align with other IT systems; for example, electronic medical record systems must work well with existing or new systems for billing and e-prescribing,” said Michael Harrison, Ph.D., a senior research scientist in health care organization and systems at the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. “At the moment, only the biggest systems have the ability to build software that fits their own needs or fully adapt available products.”
Larger health care organizations can tailor these systems to their physicians’ needs, disabling unnecessary alerts in a computerized physician order entry system, for example.
Many clinicians in smaller practices “seem to expect software products that come off the shelf to be immediately useful to them. Instead, without appropriate customization to the physician’s needs and the workflow of the practice, the pre-constructed software may actually interfere with the clinicians’ work,” Harrison said.