Re: [Gnumed-devel] gnumed ideas 0.1 and post-0.1

[Tim Churches]

J Busser wrote:

> At 7:52 AM +0100 2/16/05, Karsten Hilbert wrote:
>
> >  > I was thinking that a browser might be deployable in a
> >
> > >  short enough time frame to permit catching up to some of OSCAR's
> > >  basic functionality
> >
> > Some have pointed out that writing a robust web app isn't a
> > piece of cake either.
>
>
> That certainly gave me pause. 

A Web app designed for "trained, disciplined, responsible users" is not 
so hard. A Web app designed for untrained users or one intended to be 
exposed to anyone on the Internet is much harder to make reliable and 
secure.

> A pilot for the anticoagulation clinic is almost certainly more 
> achievable (less work yet to do / shorter time frame) than to have a 
> web app developed, yes?
>
> > b) what good is it to let them look at a web frontend and then
> >    tell them "well, yeah, but that's not what we
> >    recommend/focus on/think should be used" ?
>
>
> A web frontend (even if it is read-only) could be invaluable when 
> needing to obtain core information when you do NOT have access to a 
> computer with a gnumed client installed (or even where you would be 
> *permitted* to install a client, it is a temporary location or you are 
> "on the move" and did not have time).
>
> Even something basic would contribute to (as Tim put it in  January) 
> the *plausible promise* of more to come.

Only geeks, nerds and dorks are impressed by excellence of software 
engineering in the back-end and middleware layers.  The vast majority of 
would-be users are only interested in what the application can do for 
them - not how it does it - and they naturally want to see that in action.

> > I WAS thinking as a stepping stone to
> >  > ESTABLISH GnuMed as something deserving more consideration, and its
> >
> > >  ADOPTION by enough groups to remain viable.
> >
> > I suppose I am just not competitive enough. You know, studying
> > martial arts I tend to see "competition" like this: Either it's
> > serious and only one of us is going to be walking away at the
> > end of the day (eg when you ambush me you better be serious
> > about it). Or it's not worth the trouble and I'd prefer
> > working *with* rather than *against* you.
>
>
> Working "with" is entirely a good idea and Horst is achieving very 
> good things for drugref in collaboration with OSCAR. I am just trying 
> to get an AUDIENCE for GnuMed, it is so hard when AFAIK, Oscar is the 
> only open source EMR running in Canada.
>
> A person could be a wonderful performing artist, about whom no-one 
> knows because they cannot get a booking or "on the table". They may 
> disdain corporate / commercial aspects of the industry, especially 
> "manufactured" successes, and may prefer to quietly hone their craft. 
> A Chinese woman who started out "assigned" to be a foot juggler has, 
> over time, achieved great acclaim as a magician, and such success 
> stories do happen. But that is an individual story, also it took her 
> 15-20 years.  Some might say "you want something now, use Oscar" but I 
> would rather say "if I can help to get parts of GnuMed running in 6-12 
> months, I would rather do that" :-)

Even if the GnuMed project is not seeking funding (apparently it isn't, 
based on past discussions), it still needs to worry about "marketing" of 
Gnumed - winning hearts and minds, finding people to champion it etc. 
Most importnatly, it needs to win over people who will support it. In 
Australia, that means key people ("CEOs" and "CIOs") in Divisons of 
General Practice, and independent medical IT support firms. Just being 
technically excellent and free is not enough.  But after 3 or 4 years of 
effort you don't even have a working prototype to show them, they are 
not going to be too keen to tell everyone "Gnumed is the future of 
primary care computing".  In other words, "marketing" or promotion of 
GnuMed is important, but don't even think about it until you have a 
working prototype. No rush, perhaps, but bear in mind that OSCAR, 
PrimaCare (from Malaysia), OpenEMR and Care2X are all being deployed in 
production sites now, and Vista Office will be fairly soon.

So, from the point of view of a bystander with a great deal of 
enthusiasm and goodwill towards the Gnumed project, but no active 
involvement in it, I have to say "Come on guys, pull the finger out and 
produce a working prototype which can save patient records to a database 
and then recall them."

Tim C