Happy Independence Day – 4th of July

Happy Independence Day to all of my readers. I find it pretty funny that now there’s a movement to make sure we say Independence Day instead of 4th of July. I think that we just have far too much time worrying about the words we use and not enough time on actually making a difference. I recently heard a phrase that I’m going to quote wrong, but went something like “Get a shovel and start digging.”

My favorite in the EMR world is when people go crazy if you use the term EMR and not EHR. Let’s just get over it. The doctors I talk to really are. They use them interchangeably to mean everything that you might technically consider an EHR. Choosing to call it an EHR doesn’t make it more usable or have more features. I’m totally fine with implementing an EMR that has all the features of every EHR out there and more. It’s really about what’s being implemented and not the definition or terms used.

Either way, one beautiful thing about this country is that we’re free to have different opinions. It’s sad to think that some bloggers in other countries get shut down because of what they say. I can’t imagine what that’s like. I’d hate to have anyone tell me what to say and I’d hate for my readers not to tell me when I’m wrong (which they usually do). Free speech and freedom doesn’t mean we have to be mean and that we can’t be respectful. However, it does mean that we’re free to have differing opinions and still respect each other. That’s the beauty of America to me.

Happy Independence Day!

About the author

John Lynn

John Lynn is the Founder of HealthcareScene.com, a network of leading Healthcare IT resources. The flagship blog, Healthcare IT Today, contains over 13,000 articles with over half of the articles written by John. These EMR and Healthcare IT related articles have been viewed over 20 million times.

John manages Healthcare IT Central, the leading career Health IT job board. He also organizes the first of its kind conference and community focused on healthcare marketing, Healthcare and IT Marketing Conference, and a healthcare IT conference, EXPO.health, focused on practical healthcare IT innovation. John is an advisor to multiple healthcare IT companies. John is highly involved in social media, and in addition to his blogs can be found on Twitter: @techguy.

2 Comments

  • Agreed on the semantic front: does it really matter? “A rose by any other name….” (I’m afraid I even had a minirant over at HIStalk about someone trying to change the nat. anthem). My idea is that as long as the terms are understood by all, it’s the same as Kleenix and tissue: either way, you’re going to blow your nose.

    The point is not to get the correct verbiage, it’s to actually perform the verb. Last Friday I got my Independence Day/Fourth of July post up, about three of the founding fathers who were also physicians and how they might inspire us in our current HIT “revolution.” These men were very different, and probably had different personal and professional opinions, but they came together for a common goal of achieving for the greater good. It was refreshing to actually write about accomplishment as opposed to quagmire for a time, in something everyone (almost) agrees was a great act.

    Thanks for all you do John, and here’s hoping you stay “open for business.”

  • Michelle,
    I’m definitely open for business. I’m not planning on going anywhere. This is my livelihood now. So, life is good.

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