Anthony Guerra, founder/editor, hsCIO.com
The approaches couldn’t contrast more sharply. On the one side are vendors who want to tightly control how their software integrates with outside products. On the other are the platform plug-and-play Applephiles. The monoliths generally come to be described by competitors or niche vendors as “unfriendly” or downright hostile to integration. But despite the knocks they take, these vendors win deal after deal, proving that despite what naysayers claim, they’re absolutely satisfying the needs of their target market. Read the rest of the column at Information Week.
David Nelsen says
Maybe both–I have heard of 2 major vendors lately who are opening up a server-side application service layer for, essentialy, (vendor certified) plug-ins. So you can have your cake and eat it too.
flpoggio says
Anthony,
Now there’s a battle that has gone on for decades, about forty to be exact. Should you buy a single vendor system, or best of breed and who’s responsible for the interfaces?
Glad to see even in my old age this issue still resonates. Now of course it’s framed as: interoperability or no-interop.
Here are some things to consider:
1)Vendors want to control – yes they do, it makes their life alot easier, and almost guarantees an ongoing revenue stream for add-ons.
2)Hospital CIOs like it because it’s less work for ‘mother’. Something goes wrong and you can blame the HIS vendor.
3)It involves risk on the part of the hospital since they (CIO) are responsible for making the integration work. And believe it or not, when it comes to hospital administration they are the least likely to take on any risk compared to CEO’s in private industry. I could write an Organizational thesis on it.
4)No one vendor can or EVER will be able to cover all the bases in HIS /EMR needed to really automate the whole shooting match. So like it or not there always will be a need to integrate/interface.
5)Lastly, if the feds get their way with MUs and the interoperability that’s weaved into the criteria…vendors will no longer have a choice. Why would a hospital buy or keep a vendor system that does not meet MU criteria?
Nuff said.