Sam

Having recently completed a Year 2000 pilot risk assessment of GP practices
for one of our Health Authorities I can certainly sympathise with you.

However your statement 'I continue to have every faith in my suppliers
reassurances.' is somewhat disturbing. Whilst it is true, as far as I can
ascertain, that all suppliers of clinical systems are on with the Year 2000
remedial works (and some have completed) it is also true that some of them
are putting out less than accurate or useful statements on  PC hardware. In
addition do your suppliers reassurances include the power generators?
Without power you are going to find it hard to operate.

Our conclusions from the pilot study did not surprise us in any way but
indicated that GP practices are most vulnerable to those systems which they
cannot control i.e. Utilities, key suppliers, embedded chips in medical
devices, telecomms equipment, building environment equipment (no heating for
example), path, registration and ios links etc. Your own programs on
spreadsheets and databases are also vulnerable but provided you tackle these
they are at least in your remit. In theory your clinical systems are
probably the least of your concerns. Rectifying PCs is a relatively easy
matter with no great cost attached and as I say clinical system suppliers
are taking a far more responsible view than many other software suppliers.
You just need to keep on top of them.

As far as your paperless problem is concerned your contingency plans may
have to allow for duplicate digital records to be kept on alternative
equipment housed maybe elsewhere. I would suggest to anyone contemplating
going paperless in the near future to think laon and hard about it at this
point in time.

In the very near future there will be a page on BHIA (so long as Ahmad
approves the content 8:)) on this very subject, we will announce when it has
been installed and perhaps you should look at it.

A couple of other general observations from our study may be of interest.
Firstly, it is pointless having UPS equipment if it isn't installed 8:), I
have seen this. 

Secondly and at the risk of upsetting our clinical system suppliers, the
cost of maintenance of hardware and software is a disgrace. In some
instances it is an order of magnitude greater than the open market. This
profession must represent the last bastion of a niche market which operates
in this way, I certainly know of no other one which has been able to inflict
these sorts of costs over the last five years. Bearing in mind that partial
public funds support this archaic practice I believe everyone should make
their views known to the suppliers.

Graham



 
At 21:33 04031998 GMT, you wrote:
>I note in "GP" mag this week that a HA Chief Executive is quoted as
>saying that we as GPs are at risk of clinical and legal redress if we
>are struck by the dreaded millenium bug and cannot provide continuing
>access to all patient records. He suggests keeping hard copy. For a
>"paperless" practice of any size this is a totally unrealistic
>propostion. I have calculated that for our practice this will involve
>our speedy lazer printer in the production of over 100,000 pieces of
>paper over at least 14 days of night and day operation. OK so perhaps
>we should not be paperless but either we keep good records
>electronically or in written form. It is not possible to do both and
>the move to paperless records continues. I am not sure what the
>solution to this problem is but I know that a full print out of every
>patient is a tad unrealistic. I continue to have every faith in my
>suppliers reassurances.  
>*****************************************
>Sam Macfie
>Haxby, York, UK
>email: [log in to unmask]
>http://www.haxby.demon.co.uk
>****************************************
>
>
"If you get their heads out of the sand don't forget to get them to brush
the sand out of their eyes! Awareness DOESN'T equal understanding."
                               ------------------
Graham P P Ride, Cybermetrix Ltd.
NEW! - Year 2000 Information Service on
<http://www.cybermetrix.co.uk/plusinfo.html>
Tel +44 (0)161 439 0480 - Fax +44 (0)161 439 1912
Year 2000 services to Health & SMEs & maximising the benefits of the Internet
http://www.cybermetrix.co.uk      



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