Author Topic: Practice Fusion Violates Some Physicians’ Trust in Sending Millions of Emails to  (Read 8614 times)

PMRNC

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RichardP

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Thank you for that.

PMRNC

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important to note that Practice Fusion did NOT violate any HIPAA regs.. in fact their EMULA clearly stated what they were doing. Physicians upset about this simply did NOT read their end user licenses.

FREE = YOU get what you pay for!!!
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Merry

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Wonder if the same agreement is in their paid version. Anyone know?

PMRNC

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YES.. it's in their end user license agreements. Easily accessible.
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gurumedbill

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I think anyone using Practice Fusion is crazy because of course something like this is bound to happen.  It is a free program but they have to make money somewhere.  When you get a 150,000+ providers people start thinking of different ways to utilize that base to capture additional revenue.  There will be more things like this to come in my opinion. 

PMRNC

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I think anyone using Practice Fusion is crazy because of course something like this is bound to happen.  It is a free program but they have to make money somewhere.  When you get a 150,000+ providers people start thinking of different ways to utilize that base to capture additional revenue.  There will be more things like this to come in my opinion. 

I somewhat agree with this but I'll add that consumers/physicians need to READ their contracts/licenses!! This was disclosed to them. they have to take some of responsibility. These things always happen when you throw "FREE" into the equation! You get what you pay for. READ your agreements.
Linda Walker
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RichardP

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I think the point being made, in the blogosphere if not here, is that PF did everything it could to keep the doctors from understanding what they were going to do - until they reached critical mass.  The point was made elsewhere that PF did not give doctors the option to "Opt In" because they believed most doctors wouldn't have opted in.  And placing a disclaimer in a spot where PF was reasonably certain the doctors wouldn't read it (doctors don't have time to read EULA's, and PF knows that) suggests opportunism rather than honorable intention.

Under ordinary business circumstances, the caution of "buyer beware" may be considered appropriate.  But I think there should be a higher ethical bar for businesses dealing with doctor / patient relationships.  At a minimum, because - if they lose the doctors' trust - they will have trouble staying in business.  Sending out e-mails over the doctor's name, without making absolutely certain that the doctors know this is happening, is a step in the direction of losing doctors' trust.

For anyone wishing to do business with doctors, claiming that they didn't violate HIPAA will be small comfort if they end up getting shunned by the very clients they are trying to attract.

gurumedbill

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Under ordinary business circumstances, the caution of "buyer beware" may be considered appropriate. 

This is true but they didn't "buy" anything which is the problem.  Most people that are going to spend money do their research and the people that take things for free don't.  There are exceptions but this is a general rule.  Most of the people that did their research didn't sign up for Practice Fusion (not necessarily because of this but there are many other reasons as well).  Practice Fusion knows this and they will continue to use this to their advantage.

PMRNC

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(doctors don't have time to read EULA's, and PF knows that) suggests opportunism rather than honorable intention.

I don't think again, that is PF, Dr's NEED to take time to read these things, make time or make sure you have an attorney available to read it for you.

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This is true but they didn't "buy" anything which is the problem.  Most people that are going to spend money do their research and the people that take things for free don't.  There are exceptions but this is a general rule.  Most of the people that did their research didn't sign up for Practice Fusion (not necessarily because of this but there are many other reasons as well).  Practice Fusion knows this and they will continue to use this to their advantage.

I agree which brings me back to the point of making physicians accountable.. if something like the EULA is not read ..what else are they letting go by them?? If anything they should learn something from this. I have never liked the "free" software, clearinghouse or free anything.. in some ways it costs you more than MONEY!
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RichardP

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From: gurumedbill on August 26, 2013, 01:25:00 PM:

Most people that are going to spend money do their research and the people that take things for free don't.

1.  You do know that recent and future EMR purchases are being reimbursed by the Federal Government, right?  Doctors looking at EMRs right now are looking so that they can get the "free" money from the government.  The program was designed to induce doctors who wouldn't otherwise use EMRs to purchase one and get reimbursed.  I would guess that, if they weren't being reimbursed, they would be examining the product much more carefully - or would be not buying it at all.

2.  I have a client who settled on PF after doing considerable research.  When it came time for me to load his data into the PF database, I had to poke around in the program and learn stuff.  I agreed with my client that PF was very intuitive for most functions it performed.  The program was designed to make most things obvious.
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« Last Edit: August 28, 2013, 03:02:46 PM by RichardP »

PMRNC

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I have a client who settled on PF after doing considerable research.  When it came time for me to load his data into the PF database, I had to poke around in the program and learn stuff.  I agreed with my client that PF was very intuitive for most functions it performed.  The program was designed to make most things obvious.

With obvious risks of course  ;)
Linda Walker
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RichardP

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The program was designed to make most things obvious.

For those who might not have understood this - that statement referred to "how to make the program do what it is designed to do, relating to entering and sending EMR data related to each patient".  Some software programs are intuitive to use.  Some are not.  I imagine Practice Fusion has gained the user-base it has because it is designed well and is intuitive to use.  There were other "free" EMRs we looked at, but they were not nearly as intuitive to use as PF.

But I did get the joke.  :)
« Last Edit: August 28, 2013, 03:01:32 PM by RichardP »

PMRNC

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But I did get the joke.  :)

Good, but just to reiterate I really don't blame PF for what they did because it was disclosed to end users and I believe any consumer, doctor or not, time or no time, do due diligence when researching these things. There is a difference between BUYING a software and having an "end user license!"
Linda Walker
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RichardP

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To reiterate my point from above: this issue is not really about blaming or not blaming.  The issue seemingly most discussed in the comments I have read has been "how to stay in business".  The general consensus seems to be that - behaving in a way that loses the trust of your customers (no matter how legally "right" you may be) is not one of the ways to stay in business.

That will be my final comment on this issue.

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