It's unlikely that any of the medical professional organizations will buy or back a single EMR. The AAFP tried this about three years ago, but couldn't get other organizations, particularly the ACP to participate. That said, I think what we are doing in COCIT is trying to show which EMRs are friendly to pediatricians and pediatric care. Maria has mentioned one in her e-mail below. Regarding Developmental Screening forms and other tools, if the AAP sections/committees/councils could come up with a clear message to EMR vendors what we wanted to include as standards in EMRs, we'd be much more likely to get them to pay attention. When they get individual requests, it's tough for them to figure out whether it's worthwhile to do it. Thanks Joe Schneider ----- Original Message ---- Date: Tue, 5 Sep 2006 07:51:10 -0400 From: "Russell Coleman" <> Subject: Developmental Screening and EMR The issue of developmental screening within an EMR is a tricky one. All of the tools that we commonly use (Denver, PEDS, and the ASQ) are copyrighted. Many practices simply photocopy these and do not pay the publisher for each form that goes into a chart (as they are legally required to do). While you can document the scores in the EMR, you can not "publish" or "copy" the questions themselves into the EMR program. It is difficult to move these questionnaires to an EMR as this copying goes from an easily overlooked "local" practice to more of an "institutional" standard, possibly running into the copyright violation. I have been using the AAP Bright Futures in the forms we are developing for our local implementation of GE Centricity EMR. The difficulty with these is that they are a simple checklist, there is no scoring as there should be for a proper screening tool. Is anyone aware of a proper screening tool that is in the public domain? ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 6 Sep 2006 20:30:59 -0400 From: "Maria" <> Subject: RE: More than an AAP EMR recommendation... Let the AAP run an EMR company??? What have they done effectively that makes you think the could run a business like that successfully? I have a EMR that I love - It is very reasonably priced. It is always adapting as new requirements and/or needs come out (for example vaccine schedule changes or pediatric reference ranges for vital signs.) They are always involved in the AAP competitotions and come in 1st or second. They are ACTIVE in the development of the EMR - lobbying for states to use the same "code" for the same vaccine (which is not a given now). Check them out -- Office Practicum by virtual data. http://visualdatallc.com/ Maria in NJ - -----Original Message----- From: [mailto:] On Behalf Of William Sent: Wednesday, August 30, 2006 12:25 PM To: pedtalk Subject: More than an AAP EMR recommendation... One difficulty with selecting an EMR is the danger that the company won't be there in 5 or 10 years. Or that it will be sold to a company you don't know, for financial gain. Another problem is that it is so expensive for a company to develop EMR, the price is always an issue. With the high price, the high earning MD's will be who they answer to first. What would be the problem with the AAP actually becoming an EMR provider? Purchase an existing company outright, and structure it so it can never be sold for profit. Offer it as an option, not a requirement. It would be a *mutual* organization, the same way many doctors have formed mutual medical malpractice insurance companies. Academy members make their payment to the AAP instead of one of the 250 privately owned companies. As an aside, think of the data that the Academy could collect, that would be helpful in presentations to payers and government. And I am sure the AAP will still be in business in 20 years. Call it the AAP EMO, the Electronic Mutual Option.