The Pitch: Watch My Video
There I was on a recent afternoon searching for more details on the term "meaningful use of an electronic health record," when I started poking around YouTube to see if there were any videos by David Blumenthal, MD, MPP, national coordinator for health information technology. Maybe he presented in a public forum and his comments were posted in a video.
What I was surprised to find, instead, was a plethora of videos from numerous electronic medical record vendors; sales pitches, really, with catchy videos targeted at what appeared to be a physician audience, and which made me wonder, how would a CIO view these videos?
As the images crossed across my computer screen and I settled into my somewhat uncomfortable chair in my cubicle and began munching on some fat-laden potato chips (not really), I watched the videos much like I would a movie (hence the snack), and literally clicked on one right after the other. I'm still wondering how a CIO would view these. Does seeing such a video make the CIO more (or less) likely to purchase the system? How does the CIO watch such videos -- critically or with a sense of humor? Do such videos tend to lean the CIO one way or the other? How does he or she maintain objectivity to tell the people leading an EMR implementation (whether it's a doctor or another executive) that they need not get caught up in the glamour of the video presented before them?
Type "electronic medical record" or "EMR" into YouTube and see what you find. Then, send me an e-mail and let me know if you're buying the high-end sales pitch.
I found a 5-minute video, and in its entirety, there wasn't a single word spoken. The camera pans around the waiting room in a doctor's office, and there are numerous paper notes plastered around the waiting room and receptionist station. The paper notes talk about how many people have died because of medical errors, illegible handwriting, etc., and it ends with a catchy phrase about EMRs and going paperless.
I know it's a sales and marketing tool, but how does a CIO prevent him or herself from being swayed by such compelling footage? And, if you don't buy it, how do you as the organization's executive IT leader educate other executive leaders to not buy into it, as well?
Several CIOs I asked said that they take what they see on YouTube -- whatever it is -- with a grain of salt.
One CIO who admitted by his response to me that he wasn't taking time out of his day to watch the videos I referenced, said, "I'm just guessing here, but my thinking is that the videos are, hopefully, more aimed at (a) smaller practices and (b) hands-on people, not the decision-makers.
"Watching a video might be something adjunct but certainly not central to my decision making. I also believe some of the YouTube video stuff is more ego-centric than at all useful," he said.
How things really work
Another CIO said that YouTube and the other video outlets often provide a good (albeit inexpensive) way for vendors to host material related to their solutions. "The posted videos will continue to be more ‘anticipated reality' than how things really work.
"I think the practicing clinicians can pick out specific process/procedure errors, and when they do, the credibility of the video will be diminished. And there will be videos that will set unrealistic expectations for some of the viewers," another CIO said. "I'm hoping that our clinical staff will not believe all they see on YouTube any more than they believe what they see in a cartoon on the Cartoon Network. Just because you can watch it, doesn't mean it's real."
Another CIO commented that it's "simply a new medium with which to saturate one's senses about the merits of this product or that product. I'm not sure that many of our executive leaders would be attracted by such videos."
The CIO continued, "Since we block YouTube from our network, I think these videos would mostly be seen by individual physicians while at home. It may certainly generate questions about a given product, but I'm beginning to think that many executives understand that a product -- any product -- is not really as important as the imminent resulting process change that follows."
Another added, "This is no different than the vendor hype which has been out there over the years. It just adds more glitz and glamour to the sales pitch. I believe, for the most part, that the vendors have come to realize that the conduit for marketing their products is the IS executive staff. If the appropriate process is in place to filter through the vendor marketing pitch vs. what does the product really do, then I see no negative repercussions with such approach to video."
I understand that it's part of a sales and marketing tool, but how does a CIO prevent his/her organization from being swayed by such compelling footage? E-mail me your thoughts at RMitchell@advanceweb.com