I need to try and remember to celebrate each blogs accomplishments more often. I just noticed that EMR and EHR just passed 1300 blog posts and 3.5 million pageviews since we started this blog on April 30, 2009 (Note: The full Healthcare Scene network is well over 6000 blog posts). I just came across this tweet and it seemed fitting to describe what I’ve done with EMR and EHR.
Never be afraid to try something new. Remember, amateurs built the ark. Professionals built the Titanic.
— Jayna Cooke (@JaynaCooke) August 4, 2014
I guess one could argue that the Ark was built with help from THE EXPERT, but let’s not get dig into Bible doctrine here. No doubt this is the ark. People ask me all the time if I have a background in journalism. Short Answer: No. Long Answer: I was the guy that avoided any kind of English class in college and so I only took one business writing class my whole college career. After that they also ask me if I have a background in healthcare. Short Answer: No. Long Answer: I interviewed for my first job in healthcare about 9 years ago and when asked about my experience in healthcare I replied, “I’ve been to the doctor.” For those wondering, I do have an IT background. That’s why I’m appropriately @techguy on Twitter.
Why then has EMR and EHR been such a success? I’ll admit that my timing was good. The $36 billion in EHR stimulus money really helped this site grow. Although, this site wouldn’t have the thousands of email subscribers and regular readers that it has if there wasn’t something more.
At the end of the day, I think there are two major things that have made EMR and EHR a success: passion and community.
I love healthcare IT. More specifically, I love the impact of technology on systems. I love how you can use technology to improve something (yes, I know we could argue whether EHR improves something or not, but that’s another post). I have a deeply held belief that technology can improve processes. Luckily that belief is deeply rooted and proved out in millions of ways. Sadly, only a few of those are in healthcare, but to me that just means there’s so much opportunity. This passion is what makes 1300 blog posts possible. Any blogger can tell you that about 50 blog posts in, the low hanging fruit is gone. Passion is what gets you past 50 blog posts and why there’s a never ending well of content that can be written.
While passion is important (especially at the beginning when no one is reading), the real reason EMR and EHR is a success is because of the community behind it. The regular readers who comment publicly and privately make it something special. The readers who forward a post to their colleagues and friends are all apart of the makeup of the blog. The people who tweet and share these posts on social media are what make this blog tick. Thanks to all of you who contribute in some small or large way to the community.
Thanks for letting me muse for a minute about EMR and EHR. I’m looking forward to the next 1300 blog posts and 3.5 million pageviews. I think we’re entering one of the most exciting times for healthcare IT. I see a bunch of grunt work ahead, but the results of that grind are going to provide solutions we would never expect.