Commentary by Jim Tate
Twitter: @JimTate
A brief history lesson for those under 60. In the heady days of the Cultural Revolution against Richard Nixon, our parents, anyone over 30, and “the Man”, we were told by Gill Scott-Heron to not look for the revolution on television. How right he was. Don’t look for the new and the disruptive to come from “the Establishment”. I haven’t used that word in 30 years. “The Establishment”. It feels good. Perhaps, we need “the Man” and “the Establishment” to serve as a framework and perhaps a structure. However, that is not where I’m looking these days for hints as to where a healthcare revolution may be building. I’m looking to social media, in particular the social media voices that come from individuals, not companies or associations or simply someone rehashing press releases. I want to hear from people who have something to say.
Whether it is HIEs, patient rights, or interoperability standards my process is the same. For any specific category I want to keep on my radar I track the social media output of maybe three or four individuals. I follow them on Twitter, I read their blogs, and I look to them for clues as to what is happening on the ramparts of the healthcare revolution. The voices I listen to change over time as the healthcare revolution zigs and zags. I hesitate to reveal the voices I listen to as my own list is dynamic. My suggestion is to find those voices that are authentic and credible for you and listen to them. You just might hear the opening salvos of the healthcare revolution. Long live the Revolution. Keep the Faith. Power to the Patients.
Jim Tate is founder of EMR Advocate and a nationally recognized expert on the CMS EHR Incentive Program, certified EHR technology and meaningful use.