The American College of Medical Informatimusicology

E-N-C-R-Y-P-T

2011-11-17T15:49:00.000-05:00

The life of a world-renown Medical Informatimusicologist is both rewarding and exhausting. In his commitment to reaching all peoples within reach of the World Wide Web with memorable, educational and entertaining musical works that focus on the advancement of health information technology, applied informatics and real change in our healthcare system, our President and Founder, Dr. Ross D. Martin, has often been called on short notice to create a musical work that can further these goals.

Ideally, these are purely original works, such as the vaunted HITECH Interoperetta and The Meaningful Use Rap. But there are times the call of duty come so rapidly that there is no opportunity to pen original music and Dr. Martin must instead rely on prior art, adapting a familiar tune to send a new message. The advantage of quick results has its cost - one must honor the intellectual property rights of those artists who worked hard to create iconic, memorable tunes.

In this context, ACMiMiMi is pleased to announce the world premiere of E-N-C-R-Y-P-T, based on the 1965 lyric and music written by Otis Redding and the cover version made famous by Aretha Franklin. It is being performed live today at the 2011 ONC Annual Meeting in Washington, DC by the incomparable Veronda Wright, a former ONCer.

Lyrics are posted below and are free to distribute under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike license. But the performance will not be posted online by ONC to avoid copyright infringement (non-commercial, public performance of a parody passed muster of the legal eagles at HHS). I have created a karaoke soundtrack for the song, so if you would like to perform it somewhere, please send me an email.

Thanks to Joy Pritts, Chief Privacy Officer at ONC, and Laura Rosas from Joy's office for the opportunity to create this work.

To the tune of R-E-S-P-E-C-T (Aretha Franklin version)
Lyrics by Ross D. Martin, MD, MHA
Original song by Otis Redding in 1965
©2011 American College of Medical Informatimusicology
Lyrics shared under Creative Commons 3.0 Attribution/Share-Alike license

(oo) What you got
(oo) Somebody wants it
(oo) What you need
(oo) Somebody has it
(oo) All I'm asking
(oo) Is for a little protection
(just a little bit)
Protection
(just a little bit)
For my information
(just a little bit)
I'm saying
(just a little bit)

I ain't gonna hold you
Back from your business
I ain't gonna slow you down
But you gotta listen
'Cause all I'm asking
Is for a little protection now
(just a little bit)
I'm saying
(just a little bit)
For my information
(just a little bit)
I'm saying
(just a little bit)

I'm about to give you
All my data
And all I'm asking
In return, Doctah
Is make sure it's encrypted
When you send it far from home
(send it, send it, send it, send it)
Yeah, Doctah
(send it, send it, send it, send)
Encrypt it, Doctah
(encrypt, just a-lock it up)
When you send it far from home
(just a-lock it up)

E-N-C-R-Y-P-T
Keep my data safe for me
E-N-C-R-Y-P-T
Respect my privacy

Oh
(move it right, hold it tight,
move it right, hold it tight)
A little encryption
(move it right, hold it tight,
move it right, hold it tight)
Whoa, Doctah
(just a-lock it up)
A little encryption
(just a-lock it up)
When you send it far from home
(just a-lock it up)
It’s easy
(just a-lock it up)
So please don’t do me wrong
(just a-lock it up)
Yeah, Doctah
(just a-lock it up)

E-N-C-R-Y-P-T
Respect my privacy

The Rainbow Button Initiative

2011-10-26T18:00:00.054-04:00

A new milestone in Medical Informatimusicology history has been reached with the release of The Rainbow Button Initiative video from the September 2011 Health 2.0 conference in San Francisco. Dr. Ross D. Martin, ACMI's President and Founder, aka, Dr. HITECH, has been immortalized in the form of a Muppet.

As monumental as this Muppetational moment may be, it is but a small part of a much larger event, a movement really. The Rainbow Button Initiative, which has been an active topic of discussion in the blogosphere, seeks to put patients in control of their own information by acknowledging that we all have different interests and needs when it comes to accessing data. Some want privacy; others want to share; still others want full control. There's a button for that (or should be)--so says TRBI.

The lovely and talented Regina Holliday rallied the (thespian and puppeteer) troupes to create a staged performance that included Dr. HITECH's Muppetastic appearance as he led the cast in "The Rainbow Button Initiative Rap".

Gregg Masters, CEO of Xanate Media, captured it all on film and produced the video above.

Lyrics below. Stay tuned for an MP3 of the rap!

The Rainbow Button Iniative Rap

DR. HITECH
Yo, Home!
Dr. HITECH's in the house!

Been hearin' all this chattah
'bout what everybody sees
Is the way to access data
Like they're all dif'rent needs
I gotta tell ya all that even though
They're all important this I know
They're players in the same show
They're colors of one rainbow

If ya all can work together
I can guarantee
Includin' patients in
HIE is the key
Sayin' that the doctor knows
Best ain't enough
We gotta give the people some
Control of their stuff
So we are going for launch
Hit the button to initiate
This grass roots movement
Bustin’ outta' the gate
Our message is powerful
And positive
It's the Rainbow Button
Initiative

The Rainbow Button Initiative
The Rainbow Button Initiative
The Rainbow Button Initiative
The Rainbow Button Initiative

Now tell us your perspective
And we'll show it's all connected
Break it down

VETERAN (Blue Button)
I been to far-off lands
Tryin' to do what's right
I had dreams and plans
When I got caught in a firefight
Now back in the states
I'm a wounded warrior
All my doctors are great
But sometimes I ain't sure
Exactly how to keep it straight
Or know just how to navigate
All my meds and lab results
And how they relate
But now I push the Blue Button
And it's all there to see
Just a click of the mouse
And it all comes to me
And it's not just for this vet
Heck, that ain't nuttin'
Just see what stuff *you* get
When you hit the Blue Button

ALL
The Rainbow Button Initiative
The Rainbow Button Initiative
The Rainbow Button Initiative
The Rainbow Button Initiative

CELEBRITY (Red Button)
Yes, I am a famous actress and
I love that I'm adored
But when I go to see my therapist
I want to be ignored
The paparazzi put me in a
Compromising state when they
Caught me slipping out of rehab
Through the back gate
Now the tabloids all are speculating
Maybe I'm expecting
They say from a fling during
A movie I was making
Now they're fishing for my records
And hiring detectives
For clues to see if I might be
A mommy-to-be
And so to keep my privacy
I've got these two hunks next to me
To wipe away the memory
Of every doc I go to see
It's true -- on occasion
My boys can be aggressive
Then my docs forget their names
Or where they live and that's excessive
But now I have a button
In my favorite color -- red!
So instead of wiping brain cells
I encrypt the chart instead
I press the Red Button--Poof!
My record--you can't find it!
It's all still there, but who knows where
The data have been blinded!

ALL
The Rainbow Button Initiative
The Rainbow Button Initiative
The Rainbow Button Initiative
The Rainbow Button Initiative

EARTH MOTHER (Green Button)
I'm a natural giver
Always willing to share
I got data to deliver
To make better care
Giver starts with G
And so does green
I push the green button
So my data can be seen
Some people need protection
Wanna keep it in control
I dig that predilection
But I need to be bold
If some piece of information
Can assist in the creation
Of a cure for somethin' devastatin'
I'm not one for hesitatin'
Serve it up! Shout it out!
Post it where there'll be no doubt
So researchers everywhere
Can find the data to compare
And test a new invention
That's exactly my intention
When I push the green button
My records get out there

ALL
The Rainbow Button Initiative
The Rainbow Button Initiative
The Rainbow Button Initiative
The Rainbow Button Initiative

DIRECTOR (White Button)
I'm the writer and director
Of a one-man show
It's all about me
If you really want to know
I'm always on location
'Nother day another town
When I need a medication
My Doc is not around
So I find a local PCP
Who doesn't know my history
Without my information
I'm at risk of devastation
From receiving wrong prescriptions
Or an error of omission
But I have a secret weapon
It's a little White Button
I send her my history
Medications, allergies
In a CCD
So she'll know me
I'm directly in control
And I love my role
As the center of it all
I'm having a ball!

ALL
The Rainbow Button Initiative
The Rainbow Button Initiative
The Rainbow Button Initiative
The Rainbow Button Initiative

DR. HITECH
These are just a few colors
And the needs they explain
There's a whole lotta others
That got similar pain
Like the parents tryin’ to get their kids
Signed up for band
They gotta have vaccination
Records in hand
And how many out there have
A mom or a dad
Livin' far away
And then their health goes bad
Good luck gettin' any clue
What's goin' on there
Seems we need a Gray Button
To help with elder care
Outta doubt there are others
We ain't thought of yet
There's room in the rainbow
For whatever we get in…

ALL
The Rainbow Button Initiative
The Rainbow Button Initiative
The Rainbow Button Initiative
The Rainbow button Initiative...

Remembering 9/10 and the Days that Followed

2011-09-11T09:11:00.000-04:00

On this day of remembrance, only the most unaffected among us can help but reflect on where they were and how time in our minds has forever been cleaved into two parts: before the morning of September 11th, 2001 and after.

Like everyone old enough to retain a memory of that day, I have very distinct memories of where I was (on the Metro North train heading to Grand Central Station) and how the day unfolded. (I was lucky and never made it into the City).

As indelible are the memories of that day--making it home after a time to the juxtaposition of my then six-month old beamish boy Taylor and the images that repeated on the television screen--what I think of more is the night before the world changed.

My friend Peter Frishauf invited me to see Les Paul perform with his trio at one of his weekly gigs at the Iridium. I had to go uptown from 42nd street and got caught in an flash downpour that made every cab in Manhattan vanish, leaving me to walk about 10 blocks. My umbrella was no match against the torrent, the rain bouncing up from the ground to leave me completely drenched. But even that was a treat as it gave me an excuse to trade my sopping wet dress shirt for a Les Paul t-shirt.

The show was remarkable in so many ways - Les' obviously arthritic hands couldn't play some of the furious riffs of his former years, but his gift for music was still undeniable. Even more, the field of musical gravity that pulled talent from the furthest reaches into his orbit. More than one famous rocker was in the audience that night, there to pay him homage, which he repaid by handing over his guitar and letting them sit in. Suddenly this big, bearded rock star turns into a little boy who has just been handed Superman's cape by the Man of Steel himself and told to try it on for size. I thought he might cry. Instead, he played it with reverence and skill--like the little drummer boy, repaying a gift he had been given with every ounce of his being.

It was an exhilarating, cathartic experience. One that provided profoundly needed perspective for what followed.

My strongest memories of what followed are from the Friday of that first week--my first day back at work in Manhattan. No one worked, really. We all spent time making sure that everyone was okay and keeping mindful of the continuing uncertainty of when and where the other shoe would drop. Grand Central Station had dramatically changed. Before 9/11, it represented to me the left ventricle of the world, where hundreds of thousands of people of all colors, shapes and dress traversed each day, pulsed with energy that seemed to flow from sheer momentum to the farthest corners of the world. Now it was a terrorist target, crawling with heavily armed police and soldiers and surrounded by large military trucks to protect it against bombs or chemical attack.

Since there wasn't much in the way of real work to do, I decided to venture out to see how close I get to ground zero on foot. I had been to the World Trade Center many times, taking my nephew to the observation deck just a month before and attending a two-day conference at the Windows of the World about a month before that. But I had didn't have any true perspective on how close it was from my daily grind.

So I started walking south. The first thing that struck me was how the character of New Yorkers had fundamentally changed. These people notorious for being abrupt and avoiding eye contact with strangers, were purposefully looking directly into one anothers' eyes. "Are you okay? Really, are you? I'm here for you" were the unspoken words exchanged.

Walking through Greenwich Village and Washington Square was perhaps the most surreal part of the journey. The candlelight vigil that had spontaneously formed that first night in the square had grown into an organic memorial of remembrance. And the Village, known more for its only-in-the-Big-Apple unique form of rebelliousness that was distinctly American but hardly patriotic, was shrouded in more American flags than I could possibly count.

But my first true sign that we would rise from the ashes of this tragedy came at the end of my journey: Houston Street, where a makeshift plywood barrier had been erected that kept all but those involved in the rescue and recovery efforts. There was a carnival of humanity--people milling about slowly, some still clearly in shock, others moving more purposefully. Within this milieu was an unmistakable sign of hope--just three days after this day of unimaginable horror, enterprising merchants had already created buttons and t-shirts commemorating the day. My favorite was one had been created in such haste that the grammar wasn't even correct: "I Survive the Attack" it read.

On further reflection, though, I decided that the use of the present tense was more reflective of our true condition. We do survive the attack and continue to persevere as Americans and as world citizens. Even now, as the long-term repercussions of that fateful day continue to make casualties of our economy, our soldiers and our psyches, we endure.

After 9/11, I wrote "United, We Stand"--one of my Infinite Poetry pieces--as a reflection on the day. You can find a hastily constructed video and recording of the song that I wrote several years later on YouTube. It says simply:

...United, we stand
   Standing, we rise
   Rising, we soar
   Soaring, we're free
   Free, we unite
   United, we stand...

Beginning as it ends, it is designed to continue on in a virtuous cycle that reflects our better selves as Americans. It is this aspect of the American spirit that I continue to strive to emulate. Even in the face of challenge and even decline, we can remain true to what has made us a great nation and people--our unity, our perseverance, and the freedoms we enjoy, which make it all possible.

Spending that night before the world changed with good friends, a soaked shirt, and Les Paul, continues to inspire me to live my life in a manner honoring the spirit of that night and I am ever grateful to have had that special moment.

Not Today

2011-08-03T01:13:00.002-04:00

Here's a demo recording of a new song for all of you folks out there who are a little burnt out from working on HITECH, HIT, HIE, EHRs, MU, and all those other exhausting acronyms that have taken over our lives for the last couple of years. It's all important, but don't forget to take care of yourselves and the people around you...

Hit the snooze button, honey
Doesn't matter rain or sunny
I don't care if the sky is blue or green
Got no doubt we could find
A dozen reasons to grind
Another work-a-day day through the mission machine

We never lack for excuses
For the race we run
We hit the track and take our bruises
But we never get done
Our agenda's on a bender
It's demanding our surrender
And declaring that there's no other way
But even if it's true I say
Not today, not today, not today

Drop that newspaper, baby
It'll make us both crazy
Tryin' to follow all the tragedy and politics
Sure, we need a good solution
For tsunamis and pollution
Still, they're gonna have to wait another day for a fix

Right now my only worry
Is the whistlin' pot
Tellin' me it's time to brew
My baby somethin' hot
But when the sun finally is slippin'
Into somethin' more befittin'
For walk along the beach by the bay
We'll give some time to findin' a way
But not today, no, baby, not today

'Cause today we're gettin' down to
What we never get around to
Our to-dos will be infused with
Lots of time for me 'n' you
We can't wait another day
Or watch the hours waste away
So hurry up and turn it down without delay

So turn the tube off, my love
'Cause we've had more than enough
Of all that stuff they call reality on TV
The only thing I know for real
Is your Buddha smile
And the way you make me feel
When it shines a while
Though I suppose in some scenario
You could decide it's time to go
And as you turn to walk away
I'll turn you back gently to say
Not today
No baby not today
Not today, not tomorrow
Don’t you never, ever go away
No baby not today

© 2011 Ross D. Martin, MD, MHA
4/30/2011

NCPDP Telecom Island

2011-05-26T17:29:00.000-04:00

Our esteemed President and Founder, Dr. Ross D. Martin, was recently called upon to provide his informatimusicology services for the National Council for Prescription Drug Programs (NCPDP). You may recall that one of Dr. Martin's earliest informatimusicology works was a song for NCPDP's 30th anniversary, "The Legend of Bob the DERF." This time, Charlie Oltman of Target Corporation was to receive the Benjamin D. Ward Distinguished Member Award. He wanted a song about the NCPDP Telecommunications Standard to work into his acceptance speech and had drafted some words to the tune of the theme song for Gilligan's Island.

Dr. Martin was far too busy for such an engagement, but wanted to help his venerated colleague. They agreed to an exchange wherein Mr. Oltman would make a donation to Dr. Martin's new pet project, Launch: An Emerging Artist Fellowship (more on this in a later post) in exchange for Dr. Martin editing and recording the song for NCPDP's Annual Conference award ceremony.

Here are the lyrics and the MP3 for "Telecom Island" published for posterity. Those unfamiliar with the esoteric content will simply have to join NCPDP for enlightment.

"Telecom Island"
(With apologies to Gilligan and Friends)

Just sit right back and you'll hear a tale
Of a telecom journey
That started out with UCF’s
At N-C-P-D-P
At N-C-P-D-P

3.2 had a mighty run
Then 5.1 endured
As hundreds joined in all the fun
For a another HIPAA tour

Then HIPAA started getting rough
Our tiny DERFs got tossed
If not for the members and the fearless staff
Our standards would be lost
Our standards would be lost

Our Council set its sites on making sense of HIPAA II
Like Benjamin D Ward, to
Our mission we stayed true
Our mission we stayed true

In no time we had made the move
To version D-dot-Oh
Now we prepare for HIPAA III
We'll see how far we go

Remember this one rule
If you should let your cell phone ring
You'll have to tell a joke or dance
Or worse you'll have to sing
Or worse you'll have to sing

So join the fun four times a year
To get the chance to see
Our President
Her yeoman Staff
The Co-Chairs and the Board
The Task Group Leads
And the rest
Here at N-C-P-D-P

The Meaningful Yoose Rap Music Video - World Premiere

2011-03-13T12:59:00.002-04:00

The American College of Medical Informatimusicology

Proudly Presents

The Meaningful Yoose Rap

Written and Performed by Dr. HITECH

You can also see the Rap in HD on Vimeo:

http://www.vimeo.com/20923483

Trying to figure out what eligible providers have to do to receive incentive payments from CMS for the meaningful use of electronic health records? Everything you need to get started is right here, delivered in under three minutes.

Just like the HITECH Interoperetta, The Meaningful Yoose Rap is shared under the Creative Commons Attribution, Share-Alike license, which means that you are free to post or present this video without charge, but we ask that you keep the credits intact. And do let us know if you present it at a large meeting or publish it on the web.

Please share this video with others and post comments on the Informatimusicology blog, YouTube or Vimeo, "like" it on Facebook, give it stars... whatever you can do to spread it around.

Deepest thanks to the dedicated and talented friends and colleagues who volunteered many evening and weekend hours to make The Meaningful Yoose Rap possible, especially filmmaker Ishu Krishna who brilliantly directed, edited and co-produced this video. The production team included Stuart Trouton, Kareem Abdelsadek, Ryan Kim and Chris Wacek. Malik Bradford brought the soundtrack to life with his audio engineering wizardry. Son T (aka, RobotBoy2001) and wife Kym offered acting talents and patience. Back-up rappers included Cara Campbell, Kaushal Dadhania, Janelle Hu, Missy Hyatt, Liesa Jenkins, Robert Reitz and Jas Singh.

Thanks to Gail Hinte who said, "Someone should do a rap on meaningful use to that 'Pants on the Ground' tune!" and to Andrew Weniger who responded, "I know the guy who's crazy enough to do it."

Mr. HIStalk and Inga provided the venue to debut it at the 2010 HIStalk reception at HIMSS. Dr. David Blumenthal, upon seeing a live performance of the "Final (Rule) Cut" version, commented, "That would be great to see on YouTube," which was enough encouragement to spend the time getting it done and gathering the folks who could help make it happen.

Though many hands were involved in making this video possible, the opinions expressed within are solely the responsibility of the author, our esteemed President, Founder and Fellow of the American College of Medical Informatimusicology, Dr. Ross D. Martin, aka Dr. HITECH.

Now let's put the patient first and do some Meaningful Yoose!

Still More Fun

Want to rap along? Lyrics are available here. We will post a karaoke version MP3 sometime soon, so start practicing!

Becoming the world's leading medical informatimusicologist doesn't happen overnight. Dr. Martin has been writing and performing HIT songs for years, starting with The Legend of Bob the DERF for NCPDP in 2004, followed soon thereafter by The MedBiq Song for MedBiquitous, The Patient is Waiting for HL7, and The X12 Song for, you guessed it, X12 (still need to post that one).

But Dr. Martin's definitvie work in informatimusicology, the one that landed him the role as President and Fellow of the American College of Medical Informatimusicology and that has put him on the short list of candidates for Medical Informatimusicologist of the Millenium--even with nearly 90 years to go--has to be HITECH: An Interoperetta in Three Acts, which he first shared with the world on May 13th, 2009. Viewed more that 20,000 times on YouTube, it remains the work against which all others must be compared.

Want to know more about Dr. Martin? His neglected website is at http://www.rossmartinmd.com/.

The Meaningful Yoose Rap - The Final (Rule) Cut Lyrics

2011-03-13T12:45:00.000-04:00

CMS published the final rule on incentive payments for the meaningful use of electronic health records after the debut of The Meaningful Yoose Rap at the 2010 HIStalk reception at HIMSS, which required an update of the rap's lyrics. The new version swaps out the standards used to achieve meaningful use with the fifteen core objectives required of eligible providers.

Say Yo!
Yo!

C'mon say Yo!
Yo!

Now say H-I-T
H-I-T

C'mon say H-I-T
H-I-T

Yo, all you doctors won't you lend me an ear
While this wannabe hip-hopper sez what's goin' on here
Just take a look at the HITECH Act
It says EHR and you say, "Tell me somethin' new, Jack!
EHRs have been around for a while
They cost an arm and a leg and then they cramp your style"
You do a double-take... "Yo, Home, now how can this be?
It says Uncle Sam is lookin' to give some money to me!"
And so I'm here to tell you that this message is for real
But there's just one way to make it into this deal
Goin' paperless ain't nothin' if you ain't got the juice
You got to interoperate and show some Meaningful Yoose

Two-oh-eleven's when the money starts to flow
So you bettah listen up to hear the things you need to know
You need an EHR that does interoperability
And gets a thumbs-up from a certifying entity
They'll put it through the paces to make sure it'll jive
With all the bits, bytes and regs then it's time for you to drive
If you do what I'm sayin', you won't be chasin' a wild goose
You'll be on your way to showin' Meaningful Yoose

Meaningful Yoose, Meaningful Yoose
Here's what you need to know for doin' Meaningful Yoose
Ya' got fifteen objectives ya'll required to do
I'll rap 'em out for ya' then you'll add a few
Order Entry, test HIE, office visit summaries
E-prescribin', interactions, medications, allergies
Diagnosis, demographics, vital signs, smokin' status
Give patients record access, don't let the hackers attack us
Quality report, decision support
That's the core then from the menu ten choose five more for
Meaningful Yoose, Meaningful Yoose
Takin' care of patients doin' Meaningful Yoose

By now you're prob'ly thinkin', "Man, somethin' ain't right
This dude ain't got the moves and his rappin' ain't tight"
You got that one straight... I may not be too cool
But this message is important, so I'm willing to play the fool
Now tip your hats to the cats from the ONC
They're the ones under the gun to set the stimulus dough free
Startin' state HIEs and makin' Beacons from Communities
Fundin' SHARP and training and RECs
All the money's movin' out so there will be no excuse
For not puttin' patients first and doin' Meaningful Yoose
So get hip to what I'm sayin'... cut the power loose
And get your forty-four Gs for doin' Meaningful Yoose
Get your forty-four Gs or more for Meaningful Yoose
Put the patient first and do some Meaningful Yoose

IBM Announces Next Deep Challenge for Watson...

2011-02-18T00:41:00.002-05:00

The American College of Medical Informatimusicology is proud to be the first to break the news.

Building upon their recent success dominating world champions Ken Jennings and Brad Rutter in the Jeopardy! IBM Challenge, scientists at IBM are ready for an even more ambitious challenge for Watson: becoming the next American Idol. They are targeting the 2014 season for Watson’s entrée into the world of musical divas and showmen.

Especially now that Simon Cowell is out of the picture, Dr. David Ferrucci believes Watson will have no trouble getting through first-round auditions. Cowell's illogical comments (such as, “I’m not trying to be rude, but you are absolutely dreadful and should never sing in public again.”) often caused Watson’s processors to freeze up. IBM scientists were also unwilling to risk Watson having a catastrophic meltdown, based upon analysis and emulation of the behaviors of contestants from prior seasons. Says one internal source who did not wish to be named, “We are pretty sure Watson has figured out the launch codes for at least two nuclear world powers and we don't feel comfortable with how he might react."

Once through the auditions, the IBM figures he will sail through Hollywood Week. "At least he won’t forget the words,” says Wlodek Zadrozny from the Algorithms team.

They also believe there is a place for synthetic vocals in pop music today. Andy Aaron, who lead's Watson's speech team, says, "We've hired will.i.am as a consultant to figure out how he makes his voice do that cool, computery voice thing and mimic that." Apparently, IBMers have not discovered Anteres Auto-Tune.

Once they make it to the viewer voting rounds, they expect the whole thing to be a slam dunk. "How do you think Clay Aiken made it so far?" says marketing lead David Shepler. We hacked into the cell phones of every employee of Accenture and robo-called right up until the last week--we didn't want it to look too obvious. After all, we nerds have to stick together."

No word yet on whether they will be changing Watson’s avatar presence such as adding robotics, facial expressions and sudden outbursts of emotion or irrational exuberance. “Reuben Studdard pretty much just stood there and he won, so we don’t see the problem,” says Ferrucci.

Dr. Blumenthal Discusses Registration for EHR Incentive Programs

2011-01-13T10:04:00.000-05:00

Operators are now standing by for eligible providers to sign up for meaningful use incentive dollars. It could use a rhythm track, but it's big enough news to make it onto the Informatimusicology blog. Learn more at:

http://www.cms.gov/EHRIncentivePrograms/

and

http://healthit.hhs.gov/rec

The REC Theme Song

2010-12-14T12:25:00.000-05:00

Dr. Ross D. Martin, MD, MHA, FACMI performed the world premier of "The REC Theme Song" at the ONC All-Grantee Conference in Washington, DC on December 13th, 2010. Stay tuned for more...

You're seein’ patients in your practice and they constantly berate it
They say to make the grade you’ll have to interoperate it
But you don't have a clue about the Internet at all
You couldn't tell a portal from a hole in the wall
You wallow in despair – when in walks a crew
Packin' Pen Tablets and tech attitudes
They say, "Tired of pushin' paper – is connecting your dream?
We're here to take the caper – we're the REC Team."

They whip out their BlackBerrys, tap a key or two and say
"Put your mind at ease – we know just what to do.
We’re all workin’ where technology and medicine meet
We cruise the information superhighway beat
Meaningful use is not a problem – we can promise you that
We'll help you get incentive bucks in no time flat
Once we plan, select and implement, you’ll be good to go
When it comes to goin’ paperless, there’s just one name to know ’cause…

CHORUS:
You can call a grease monkey to fix your radiator
If you need to slay a lion better call a gladiator
You gotta lift a boulder – Superman's your guy
And call Double-Oh-Seven if you're needin' a spy
But if you want to see your practice be the best of them all
There's only one name out there you need to recall
To click the hyperlink to your EHR dream
Forget about them others – call the REC team

You get set, go live and watch the patients come in
It doesn't take long to know you've got a big win
You add up your savings and you see the numbers soar
Your patients see the quality – you couldn't ask for more
You get kudos and congratulations from everyone
You say, "Thanks, REC Team, for all that you've done"
They say, "Glad to be your partner – you can call any day
We're always at your service 'cause we mean it when we say that...

REPEAT CHORUS
...We said to pitch all those charts and build a practice supreme
Call the plugged in, pixilated, powered up, automated
Integratin', implementin’, strategizin', synchronizin'
Standardized, databased, webified, interfaced
Just-in-time REC Team!

2 December 2010
©2010 Ross D. Martin, MD, MHA
http://www.rossmartinmd.com/
ross@rossmartinmd.com

If I Had and EHR

2010-12-14T12:19:00.000-05:00

Dr. Ross D. Martin, MD, MHA, FACMI, performed the world premier of "If I Had an EHR" (to the tune of "If I Only Had a Brain" with apologies to the Scarecrow, et al.) at the ONC All-Grantee Conference in Washington, DC on December 13th, 2010.

I could be a brilliant beacon
For patients who are seekin'
Good healthcare from afar
They would travel here for miles
And return back home with smiles
If I had an EHR

I could get to know my patients
And review their vaccinations
To be sure they're up to par
Their pediatric hist'ries
Would no longer be a myst'ry
If I had an EHR

Oh, I could tell you why
Your HDLs weren’t trending the best
And if you were due to get another test
I'd hear a chime to say it's time

I'd chart ev'ry diagnosis,
Procedure or prognosis
No matter how bizarre
And instead of seeing hieroglyphs
My notes could be deciphered if
I had an EHR

I could check the formularies
Of kings and dignitaries
From ev'ry land and tribe
I'd know co-pays on each drug
Of ev'ry Tom, Dick or Doug
If I could only ePrescribe

Picture me--
Across the sea
My patient needs a script
In the past I'd have to interrupt my trip
But today I'll tap my PDA

I'd know contraindications
For all drug combinations
My patients might imbibe
And any chump who's doctor shoppin'
Would be trumped by warnings poppin'
If I'd only ePrescribe

With my patients' full permissions
I could make crucial decisions
Using tests I’d aggregate
With the data I collected
Random clues could be connected
If I'd interoperate

I'd be full of pride
Be honored by my peers
And I'd make quality improvements through the years
'Cause I could see from A to Z

I could shoot out a referral
For the infirmed or the infertile
Cross the street or out of state
From Pacific to Atlantic
We’d be properly semantic
If we'd interoperate
If we only ePrescribe
If we all had EHRs

1 December 2010
©2010 Ross D. Martin, MD, MHA
www.rossmartinmd.com
ross@rossmartinmd.com

ACMI News: HITECH Interoperetta MP3 Now Available

2010-12-06T18:24:00.000-05:00

A fan of the YouTube video "HITECH: An Interoperetta in Three Acts" recently requested a copy of the MP3. ACMI does not know the intended use, but assumes that said fan is intent on world domination and plans to widely distribute the vocal musings of our President and Founder, Dr. Ross D. Martin, as a cover for subliminal messages that will cause the listener to helplessly follow the bidding of said fan.

For the record, neither ACMI nor its President and Founder condone the use of medical informatimusicology as an instrument of evil or for the purposes of attaining world domination whether for good or evil intent. But, as the Interoperetta was distributed under a Creative Commons license, we feel obligated to distribute the MP3 file as requested. We do fear for the world, however, as the awesome power of medical informatimusicology, and the Interoperetta in particular, is undeniable; such a malicious use will undoubtedly be successful unless proper precautions are taken.

While it would be best for the purpose of avoiding world domination by said fan to recommend that any person receiving a copy of the MP3 file that has been injected with subliminal messages immediately delete the file, this would be an unacceptable solution as unaltered copies of the MP3 might also be deleted in the process, an outcome which is counter to the mission of ACMI.

A more palatable solution is to make use of the well-known surgical adage, "The Solution to Pollution is Dilution." ACMI recommends that every person on the planet take the following simple precautions:

Download the original, unaltered MP3 file at: http://www.rossmartinmd.com/files/mp3/HITECHfinal.mp3
Listen to the Interoperetta a minimum of 17 times.

Our research has shown that persons who follow this procedure are effectively inoculated against even subtle alterations to the file, thus making them immune to subliminal messaging. We estimate that if at least 85% of the world's population follows this procedure, it will create something akin to a "herd immunity" and save the world.

Please note that, in making this public announcement, ACMI and its leadership are effectively released of any liability resulting from personal injury or world domination in the event that the above recommendations are not precisely followed. We will, however, accept awards, prizes, and other suitable accolades for foiling the nefarious plans of said fan.

HIStalk Praises ACMI President

2010-10-02T11:15:00.002-04:00

The insightful and intrepid writers of the HIStalk Blog have heaped praise upon ACMI's President for his recent "play within a play" commentary on being published in The New York Times:

"This is brilliantly funny: You may know Ross Martin, MD as the guy behind the HITECH Operetta and Meaningful Yoose Rap in his role as President of The American College of Medical Informatimusicology, although he has a less interesting but probably much more lucrative HIT consulting job. He writes a hilarious letter to the editor of The New York Times for not publishing a previous letter of his, threatening a class action suit by rejected would-be authors and signing it, "Yours in the quest for wealth creation through victimization, President, Literary Mediocrity Association." They whittled his piece down to a paragraph, but they did run it. I think the HIStalk audience is more appropriate for his type of humor than that little New York paper."

We will forgive their slight misunderstanding of the order of events (it still confuses the staff of ACMI). Here is the unembellished timeline of events for those who prefer their reality unseasoned by satire or irony:

Dr. Martin submits a legitimate and not particularly funny letter to the editor of The New York Times Magazine in response to an article about Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs.
Dr. Martin is notified that he is being considered for publication.
When he didn't see his letter in the Magazine the following week, Dr. Martin writes a scathing rebuke to the editors informing of his intent to sue.
Dr. Martin's original submission is published the following week (which aligned with the normal two-week publication lag of article responses).
ACMI issues press release on the publication of Dr. Martin's original letter and his threat to sue the editors.

We hope that this clarification satisfies our members and fans without diminishing from the enjoyment received in reading the entire work or detracting from our President's brilliance in his own mind and in the mind of his adoring public.

As Seen in The New York Times

2010-09-28T15:05:00.001-04:00

Yes, it is true. Your favorite informatimusicologist has received the ultimate acknowledgement as a writer of note. Dr. Ross D. Martin has been published in that paragon of journalistic excellence, The New York Times.

Okay, it was a letter to the editor to the Sunday Magazine in response to Lisa Belkin’s article on redefining Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs. But it was my first submission attempt, so I can now also claim a track record of 100% acceptance of all works submitted to a national media outlet. Last weekend, tens of thousands of readers savored my punditry as printed on page 8, the first page following the Table of Contents. Countless others will sojourn to The New York Times website in search of truth and meaning and will find, preserved for posterity, my ninety-nine carefully crafted words.

Okay, I thumbed them on my BlackBerry… on the Metro… on my way in to work… But this fact in no way cheapens the thrill of victory in the face of faceless editors whose sole motive is to justify their self-perceived importance by eviscerating would-be authors with a stroke of their red pens. In fact, after receiving an initial notice that my letter was being "considered for publication" and subsequently discovering that the Magazine editors decided to exclude my contribution in the next week's edition—all in the name of "limited space"—I was compelled to send a threatening email to let those editors know I was onto their game of instilling false hopes in would-be authors. I informed them of my intent to file a class action lawsuit (see my email below) should they fail to render my work on the printed page. They, of course, crumbled immediately and published my letter the following week.

Okay, my email turned out to be the result of a slight but understandable oversight on my part. I did not notice the two-week publication lag between initial article and corresponding letters to the editor. Nevertheless, I am holding fast to the inalienable right bestowed upon me by the Founding Fathers and vigorously defended by the American Bar Association to sue the creeps at any point in the future should I experience the sting of rejection.

One action is required on your part: Just as comedians in the halcyon days of late night television (that is, before Johnny Carson retired), the universally recognized mark of successful acts was the phrase "As Seen on The Tonight Show" appended to a performer's name. Therefore, all future references to me in emails, PowerPoint presentations, printed materials and other works shall include the words "As Published in The New York Times" following my name. My agent, Mr. KP Sethi, will be monitoring compliance with this new requirement and will be administering disciplinary actions commensurate with the level of offense.

Yours in the pursuit of achievement through self-aggrandizement,

Ross D. Martin, MD, MHA
As Published in The New York Times

========================

-----Original Message-----
From: Martin, Ross
Sent: Wednesday, September 22, 2010 10:24 AM
To: Magazine@NYTimes.com
Subject: Revenge of the Bridesmaids

To the Editors of the Sunday New York Times Magazine:

We the writers, having subjected ourselves for far too long to the cruel manipulations of faceless editors who dangle the prospect of appearing in prestigious publications - only to see our dreams snuffed out with a keystroke...

We the bridesmaids, offered an electronic crumb of acknowledgment and false hope through what one may liken to a sweepstakes mailer (You already may have won!) - only to be left at the altar of literary fame and sacrificed there in the name of "so little space"...

We the unpublished, now rise up with one voice and say, "Enough!"

This email is to inform you that we are assembling ourselves and intend to establish a class action suit seeking compensation for the untold pain and suffering resulting from countless rejection letters sugarcoated with false encouragements and emails informing us of "consideration" for publication.

The ruse is up, editorial staff! We know the game you have been playing by encouraging writers of lesser skill to "keep those cards and letters coming," knowing full well that they will all find their way to the circular file. You've maintained your alleged relevance by claiming to sift through the chaff in search of that precious grain of brilliance. You've sought protection in volume, making it appear as though your diligence is the last bastion of good taste against the barbarous bloggers storming the gates that lead to the hallowed printing press floor.

We know you hoard your small cadre of publisher's pets - writers like Michael Pollan, who need only make an offhand remark about the origins of the Twinkie to make the cover of your magazine. And David Sedaris can drone incessantly about the most insignificant indignity and you give it the coverage of an event of historical significance. Well of course you do! They are fabulous writers - one needn't have "Editor-in-Chief" behind one's name to see that.

We know that you need us, the prosaically feeble, to ensure your job security. If only good writers wrote, what function would you serve? It is time to give us a piece of the action. We seek $738 million in compensation for wages lost in pursuit of false hopes, tuition wasted on writer's conferences and correspondence courses, and hours frittered away on the therapist's couch. Of course, we would be willing to settle for seeing our work on the printed page, but that is a matter for counsel to resolve.

Please consider yourselves put on notice. You will be hearing from our lawyers.

Yours in the quest for wealth creation through victimization,

Ross D. Martin, MD, MHA, FACMI
President, Literary Mediocrity Association

=================================

From: Magazine, Sunday [mailto:magazine@nytimes.com]
Sent: Thursday, September 16, 2010 12:45 PM
To: Magazine, Sunday
Subject: Urgent: your letter to the times Magazine
Importance: High

Dear Reader,
Thanks for your interesting letter to the New York Times Magazine. We are considering it for our letters column in the issue of 9/26/10. Would you please read the edited version of your letter below, and write me back immediately to tell me if you approve it being published as it is? Please also make sure your name, location and affiliation are correct. Because we have so little space we do have to reduce most faculty positions to their simplest form; please be sure that yours is accurate, if not comprehensive.
Thanks again.
Sarah Smith, Managing Editor, Magazine

War Games
Chris Suellentrop makes it clear that video war games in which players are participants are in effect recruitment and training devices promoting the latest war technology of our armed forces. Players become anesthetized to the horror and destruction of war and at the same time are indoctrinated into the technology. The ‘‘players’’ in the ‘‘game’’ of the predator drones sit in comfortable environments in Colorado and do not see or hear the resulting horror and destruction in far off countries.
Rosaleen Mazur Warren, R.I.

Living to Be a Parent
I feel compelled to correct a common misperception about evolution that appears in Lisa Belkin’s essay. We do not ‘‘as a species’’ act in particular ways to benefit the species. A primary premise of evolutionary theory is that individuals behave in ways that maximize individual reproductive success, relative to other individuals within a population. Hereditary behavioral traits of individuals that help them to increase the proportion of their offspring in future generations will thus be ‘‘selected for,’’ i.e., become more common; this process results in evolution.

Evolution of a species is, therefore, a by-product of individuals acting in their own interests. Although humans present some potentially interesting exceptions to this idea — working for nuclear disarmament could potentially diminish the time you spend trying to reproduce and increase the likelihood of human survival — the idea that the evolution of human behaviors springs from individuals acting to ‘‘abet the survival of the species’’ is incorrect.

Catherine Lindell
Department of Zoology
Michigan State University
East Lansing, Mich.

Abraham Maslow had it right in leaving wiggle room at the top of his hierarchical pyramid for personal definitions of self-actualization. His version accommodates parenting and creative pursuits equally well — without wedging these drives into the goal of species propagation. The resulting diversity of our psychological landscape keeps our busy brains interested in thriving and in extending the same opportunity to future generations. Our ability as humans to look above the fray of survival of the fittest and instinct-driven reproduction may in fact turn out to be the evolutionary advance that ultimately saves our own species and countless others.

Ross D. Martin
Germantown, Md.

There seems to be some serious intellectual confusion, if ‘‘academic psychologists’’ have placed parenting at the top of the pyramid of human needs, in an effort to ‘‘look at human motivation based on evolution.’’ It seems hardly necessary to point out that no living creature is motivated to achieve evolutionary goals. While it is a credible hypothesis that the experience of sexual pleasure, for instance, arose out of the evolutionary process, the motivation itself has nothing to do with procreation, and in fact it motivates humans to avoid procreation.

So it would seem that academic psychologists are essentially guessing at the consequences of evolution on human behavior. But to infer that humans have a need to parent, in the sense of ‘‘parenting’’ that has arisen only in recent generations, is a most tenuous hypothesis, a flying leap of uninformed logic, in fact. Equally likely is that progressively infantile generations of the middle class, ever more reluctant to leave childhood behind, find a gratifying outlet in living vicariously through their own pampered children.
Only time will tell if this turns out to be an evolutionary plus or minus.

David M. Smith
Plano, Tex.

The Legend of Bob the DERF

2010-09-18T15:40:00.000-04:00

From the ACMI Archives:

The Legend of Bob the DERF

Click here to listen to the song

The College has received several solicitations from potential members - requesting reviews of health IT related lyrics or recordings. We thought it would be instructive to bring out some of the original works that led to the establishment of the College. There is no better place to start than at the very beginning...

The National Council for Prescription Drug Programs (NCPDP), is an ANSI-accredited standards development organization focused on pharmacy-related electronic information transactions headquarted in Scottsdale, Arizona. In 2005, Dr. Ross Martin offered to compose a song for NCPDP for their Annual Conference. His offer was accepted and a sponsor stepped forward to support the recording and reproduction costs for a CD. Special thanks go to Lee Ann Stember, NCPDP's President, for sponsoring the song. The lovely and talented Eric Schwartz (WARNING: he is brilliant, but uses his powers for evil, so his site is not for those of sensitive dispositions) produced and recorded the song, adding many of the vocals and most of the instrumentation. Dr. Martin performed the song twice at the conference and several hundred copies of the CD, now considered a collector's item among devoted informatimusicologists, were distributed.

The song, "The Legend of Bob the DERF," tells the tale of how we moved from our darker days of winner-takes-all standards setting to our current consensus process. Those unfamiliar with NCPDP and its methods may be curious of the meaning of the term DERF. It stands for "Data Element Request Form" and is the main document used in the NCPDP standards development process to establish or modify a standard. Many who heard the song and are familiar with the history of NCPDP opined that the two characters depicted in the song - Bob the DERF and Margaret, aka, The Wacker - bore striking similarities to two long-time members of NCPDP, Bob Beckley of Surescripts and Margaret Weiker of EDS, both of whom are known for their strong leadership and equally strong opinions, which have occasionally put them at odds with one another, creating some of the more tense moments experienced at workgroup meetings. Their southern accents and Margaret's diminutive stature (she is rumored to be around 4' 5" tall, though no one has had the kahunas to actually measure her or ask) provided reinforcement for some of these opinions. In fact, the characters portrayed in the song are not based on any known individuals, living or dead. Anyone who says otherwise is itchin' fer a fight!

The Lyrics:

Way back a hunert years ago
In a desert land devoid of snow
’Fore Scottsdale started dottin’ any maps
Snake Oil Salesmen roamed the West
Pitchin’ potions from their treasure chests
And shaftin’ any sucker wearin’ chaps

There was one man who had a dream
’Bout raisin’ druggists’ self esteem
By protectin’ the apothecary’s turf
He saw that standards were the key
For improvin’ drugstore quality
That man was known by all as Bob the DERF

Now any tale worth bein’ told
Includes a woman, guns or gold
Our hero’s rival ponied up all three
Margaret was her given name
But winnin’ gunfights brought her fame
So the name “The Whacker” fit her to a tee
And ev’ry time The Whacker flashed her gold incisor in a grin
The undertaker knew he’d soon be callin’ next of kin

CHORUS:
Hoo-ee ’n’ Yippee-ki-ee
Before the NCPDP
Consensus was a notion seldom found
Hoo-ah ’n’ Yippee-ki-yaw
The fastest shot laid down the law
The other laid down six feet underground

Now The Whacker had her standards too
And had in mind just what to do
To make sure things got done by her own rule
She called on Bob the DERF and said,
“You lily-livered pudd’nhead
It’s my way or the highway, ya’ dang fool!”

She knew her taunts would be enough
To razz him so he’d call her bluff
He slammed his whiskey down as if on cue
“Well we’ll just see ’bout who’ll be number one
High noon, tomorrow – bring your gun
But I’d skip town tonight if I was you!”

The bookies laid odds eight-to-five
The Whacker’d make it through alive
Her dead-eye aim was known throughout the land
It’s true that Margaret had her chance
But once they started in to dance
The DERF felt sure he’d be the last to stand
And so they set the stage to see whose standards would prevail
One slinger’d see sweet victory – and one the gates of Hell

REPEAT CHORUS

The clock chimed twelve – the wind was still
Too scared to see red rivers spill
And learn who’d bite the dust who’d survive
The two stepped out into the street
To face their fate at fifty feet
Then in a flash their pistols came alive

Bob the DERF’s resolve came through
His steady hand shot straight and true
A normal foe no doubt would have been dead
But one fact he failed to calculate –
The Whacker stood at four-foot-eight
And so her Stetson flew clean off her head

The DERF’s luck went from bad to worse
Didn’t even have a chance to curse
As The Whacker’s dental work gleamed through her smile
Her single shot was on the mark
It pierced his heart – the sky went dark
Right there he fell into a bloody pile
And as he died, The Whacker cried, “Oh, help me, Lord above!
All in the name of standards, I’ve just killed my one true love!”

REPEAT CHORUS

She lay her pistol down and swore upon her golden tooth
Consensus now will be pursued in healthcare’s quest for truth
“No longer will our blood be shed for standards to be set
We’ll gather round and talk until a compromise is met”

So now you know just how we formed the NCPDP
And how this modern standards settin’ process came to be
And after endless hours of meetings why my eyes will glaze
I’m dreamin’ ’bout how things got done back in those glory days when…

REPEAT CHORUS

Words by Ross Martin
Music by Eric Schwartz and Ross Martin
Lead vocals: Ross Martin
Background vocals: Ross Martin and Eric Schwartz
All instruments and sequencing: Eric Schwartz
Produced and engineered by Eric Schwartz, Claritone Music
Special thanks to Kevin So

Our Founder Sets New Pen Spinning World Record

2010-08-30T19:18:00.000-04:00

In his relentless quest to achieve eminence through hyper-specialization, Dr. Ross D. Martin, MD, MHA, FACMI*, President, Founder and Fellow of the American College of Medical Informatimusicology (ACMI), has been officially recognized as the world record holder in over-the-thumb pen spins in one minute, completing an astonishing 48 spins in a minute on August 26th, 2008, hereinafter known officially as Dr. Ross "Pen Spinmeister" Martin Day. A video of this monumental achievement can be found at the Universal Record Database website at http://urdb.org/wr/over-the-thumb-pen-spins-minute.

Dr. Martin is equally proud of his son, known to the blogosphere as RobotBoy2001 for setting several records on that very day, one of which has been officially recognized by the officials at URDB: Most bounces on BOSUs by Two Boys in One Minute. Other RobotBoy2001 records are currently under review.

Greatness clearly runs in Dr. Martin's family. Someday, perhaps, his son will follow in his footsteps and become a great informatimusicologist like his father. The world waits with great hope and anticipation for that day and will rejoice should it come...

*Fellow, American College of Medical Informatimusicology

From the ACMI Archives: The HITECH Interoperetta

2010-08-19T12:24:00.001-04:00

Below is the original May 13th, 2009 posting of the of "HITECH: An Interoperetta in Three Acts" from the personal blog of ACMI's Founder and President, Dr. Ross D. Martin, MD, MHA, FACMI. Recognizing the pivotal role the HITECH Interoperetta plays in the history of the College, it seemed worthy of a cross-posting. Last we checked, the YouTube video had been viewed nearly 18,000 times.

The American College of Medical Informatimusicology is pleased to bring you an original work written and performed by ACMI's founding member, Dr. Ross D. Martin, MD, MHA, FACMI:

HITECH

An Interoperetta in Three Acts

Who knew you could learn so much about the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health Act in under four minutes?

The Story Behind the Song

I had been thinking about writing a song for HITSP, CCHIT and AHIC for a couple of years, figuring it was time to tie a bow around the four other standards songs I've written - for NCPDP ("The Legend of Bob the DERF" - country & western tune about the standards-setting gunslingers of old), HL7 ("The Patient is Waiting" - a rock ballad), MedBiquitous ("The MedBiq Song" - a la Gilbert and Sullivan) and X12 ("The X12 Song" - R&B pop tune). All these songs are available on my MP3 page.

The inspiration for structure of the song, though, is actually about 20 years old. A classmate from the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Dr. John Weigand, did a brilliant skit at our annual student talent show, sung by "The Weigand Trio," about his med school experience. It was three songs in one, just like this one; John used cassette recorders to "perform" the three parts at once. It was hysterical. So when it came time to write a song about three components of harmonizing standards, his idea seemed the perfect vehicle. I hadn't spoken to John since med school, so I looked him up on Google, emailed to make sure this was his original idea (it was) and make sure he was okay with me borrowing it (he was).

I wrote HITECH during a quick family vacation in Florida - mostly on the plane rides - back in March. Kym and Taylor are quite happy it's done so they don't have to listen to me running through the same 35-second song over and over again.This was probably one of the most complex songs I've ever written. Each verse had to layer on top of the other, syllable by syllable. Usually, I write lyrics in a little notebook, scratching out lines and words until it's just right. This one was just too difficult to write a verse at a time, so I had to literally do it on a spreadsheet so I could get it all to line up properly. I snapped a picture of it:

Writing the song turned out to be the easy part. The recording was done on a Zoom H2 (what a great little multi-track recorder!). Since HITECH at Deloitte is keeping me busy more than full time in "real life" work, I did most of the recording, videotaping and editing in the wee hours (just like I'm writing this blog post - after 1am). I did the audio editing using Audacity, the elegant and simple open source multi-track software tool, and the video editing with PowerDirector, the software that came with my JVC Everio, a good-enough camcorder. It was the editing that took forever - getting the timing just right, adding the scrolling captions, editing the audio so everything was balanced and the "sound effects" came out reasonably believable.
In the end, there were a dozen things I would want to do better - especially on the vocals front, but I just didn't want to spend any more time than I absolutely had to to get a decent result. So it is what it is and I hope you enjoy the video. Please let me know what you think - either by posting a comment here or on YouTube or by sending me an email. And if you need some real, serious work done around HITECH, my colleagues and I at Deloitte Consulting would be happy to help. Just send the Deloitte HITECH Response Team an email.

Who links to my website?

Health Reform: Are You Ready?

2010-07-30T12:34:00.001-04:00

Some great statistics and thought-provoking points about health reform in the US. The College also appreciates the catchy beat of the background music and the subtle sound effects built into the rhythms.

United, We Stand - Reimagining an Anthem for our Nation

2010-06-28T19:32:00.001-04:00

The American College of Medical Informatimusicology normally focuses exclusively on the intersection of healthcare, informatics and music. On occasion, however, we discard the shackles of protocol and discuss other topics of interest among Fellows of the College. Our President and Founder, Dr. Ross Martin, recently made this submission, which we readily accepted in anticipation of our nation's upcoming independence celebration.

A couple of weekends ago, PRI’s Studio 360 asked listeners to think about updating a couple of our traditional icons as we approach our annual 4th of July celebrations. One was Uncle Sam – what would a “mascot” for our nation look like today? The other, our National Anthem (which, according to one pole, 27% of Americans believe has a last line of “And the home of the brave… Play Ball!”).

I personally like our National Anthem a lot – it is a beautiful song with brave and poetic lyrics. But it is undeniably a challenge to sing for all but the upper tier of vocalists, with its greater than 1½-octave range (for perspective, Madonna never sings anything with more than a one-octave range, not that this is a shining example, but I hear she has made some money as a singer).

So last weekend, I posted a reimagining of the National Anthem in response to the Studio 360 challenge based on some Infinite Poetry® I wrote after 9/11. Let me know what you think… The song and a quickly assembled video are posted on YouTube.

It’s a simple song with only five lines that intuitively cycle back on themselves, so they are easy to remember:

…United, We Stand
Standing, We Rise
Rising, We Soar
Soaring, We’re Free
Free, We Unite
United, We Stand…

The simplicity of the song makes it easy to add parts, variations on the theme and personal interpretations—which reflects, to me, the bedrock of what makes our nation such a compelling and inspirational place: simple principles that allow for diversity and creative growth to live in harmony.

If you like it, please vote for it (you may have to join the group to vote). You can also leave a comment or “like” the video (you will need a Google or YouTube account).

Thanks for taking a look. If my submission is one of their favorites, it will be mentioned on the show this holiday weekend. Fame and fortune are sure to follow, so my future is in your hands…

;-)

Happy 4th!

World's Leading Informatimusicologist Headlines at LTPAC Conference June 7, 2010

2010-05-24T10:04:00.002-04:00

This press release was recently issued by the American Health Information Management Association:

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

May 6, 2010

ERIC DISHMAN AND ROSS MARTIN TO KEYNOTE LTPAC HEALTH IT SUMMIT

Interoperable Healthcare and Health Information Exchange to Empower the Aging Population

Alexandria, VA— Eric Dishman, director of Health Innovation and Policy for Intel's Digital Health Group, will keynote day one of the sixth Long Term and Post Acute Care (LTPAC) Health IT Summit, June 7-8, in Baltimore, MD. Mr. Dishman will be presenting on how providers and caregivers of the elderly can incorporate integrated technology to provide a higher level of quality care and wellness. Dishman is widely recognized as a global leader in driving healthcare reform through home and community-based technologies and services, with special focus on enabling independent living for seniors.

The world's leading medical informatimusicologist, Ross Martin, will headline day two of the Summit. Dr. Martin is a Senior Manager in Healthcare and Life Sciences at Deloitte Consulting LLP, where he focuses on the technology standards and policies that support the convergence of clinical research and clinical care. He currently serves as a subject matter advisor at the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology. Martin will present on health information exchange to ensure best outcomes and care coordination and will also share his chart-topping health IT standards development organization song.

The 2010 LTPAC HIT Summit is the only HIT program for the long-term and post-care fields and offers attendees the opportunity to focus on LTPAC national policy strategies and industry updates through lively forums and expert-led seminars. In addition, this important event will unveil a new HIT roadmap for 2010-2012. The Summit also features case studies, an exhibit hall, and Interoperability Showcase.

The 2010 LTPAC Health IT Summit will take place at the Hyatt Regency Baltimore on the Inner Harbor, June 7-8. For more information, including registration and hotel accommodations, visit the American Health Information Management Association's (AHIMA) website at www.ahima.org/events/ltchitsummit.

The Long-Term Care Health IT Summit is sponsored by the American Association for Homes and

Services of the Aging (AAHSA) and the Center for Aging Services Technologies (CAST); the American Health Care Association (AHCA) and the National Center for Assisted Living (NCAL); the American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA); the American Medical Directors Association (AMDA); the American Society of Consultant Pharmacists (ASCP), the National Association for the Support of Long-Term Care (NASL); and the National Association of Home Care and Hospice (NAHC).

More proof that self-proclamation of domain preeminence will make it so if it is picked up by the press… So what will you claim for your own world's leading status? NB: I've already got dibs on medical Informatimusicology and unicycle basketball, so go find your own!

Meaningful Yoose Rap

2010-03-16T14:30:00.008-04:00

Reports from the field indicate that a lone rapper has been found stalking locales known to be frequented by the healthcare technoratti set, most notably the HIStalk reception at the 2010 HIMSS conference in Atlanta in early March. Rumors have now been substantiated as an alert iPhone owner captured this footage:

The rapper, identifying himself only as Dr. HITECH, is rumored to be related to or possibly the same person as our own Ross D. Martin, MD, MHA, FACMI, president, founder and, as yet, sole member of our illustrious College.

We do not see the resemblance, but cannot deny that this clever bit has all the markings of true lyrical master craftsman. We invite him to apply for entrance into the College should he be found worthy. But we insist that he renege on his claim to the mantle of Dr. HITECH, which clearly belongs to the purveyor of the now-classic HITECH Interoperetta.

One last note: Our careful research has decrypted the lyrics from this rather poor quality rap video. We offer them here in defiance of all copyright infringement claims.

Meaningful Yoose

Say Yo! (Yo!)
C’mon say Yo! (Yo!)
Say H-I-T (H-I-T)
Say H-I-T (H-I-T)

Yo, all you doctors won’t you lend me an ear
While this wannabe hip-hopper sez what’s goin’ on here
Just take a look at the HITECH Act
It says EHR and you say, “Tell me somethin’ new, Jack!
EHRs have been around for a while
They cost an arm and a leg and then they cramp your style”
You do a double-take—“Yo, Home, now how can this be?
It says Uncle Sam is lookin’ to give some money to me!”
And so I’m here to tell you that this message is for real
But there’s just one way to make it into this deal
Goin’ paperless ain't nothing if you ain't got the juice
You got to interoperate and show some Meaningful Yoose

Two-oh-eleven's when the money starts to flow
So you bettah listen up to hear the things you need to know
You need an EHR that does interoperability
And gets a thumbs-up from a certifying entity
They’ll put it through the paces and make certain it’ll jive
With all the bits, bytes and regs—then it’s time for you to drive
If you do what I say, you won't be chasin’ a wild goose
You’ll be on your way to showin’ Meaningful Yoose

Meaningful Yoose, Meaningful Yoose
Gettin’ things done with your Meaningful Yoose
Use a CCR or a CCD
For shootin’ out a patient record summary
E-prescribin’, med history and formulary benefit
Out a doubt NCPDP is a sure bit
Admin transactin’ with X12 forty-ten
PQRI for quality reportin’
Public health exchanges usin’ HL7
That's how we’re makin’ changes in two-thousand-eleven for
Meaningful Yoose, Meaningful Yoose
Takin’ care of patients with your Meaningful Yoose

By now you're prob’ly thinkin’, “Man, somethin’ ain’t right—
This boy don't got the moves and his rappin’ ain’t tight”
You got that one straight—I may not be too cool
But this message is important, so I’m willing to play the fool
Now tip your hats to the cats from the ONC
They’re the ones under the gun to set the stimulus dough fre
Startin’ state HIEs and makin’ Beacons from Communities
Fundin’ SHARP and training and RECs
All the cash is movin’ out so there will be no excuse
For not puttin’ patients first and doin’ Meaningful Yoose
So get hip to what I'm sayin’—cut the power loose
And get your forty-four Gs or more for Meaningful Yoose
Start making things happen doin’ Meaningful Yoose
Put the patient first and do some Meaningful Yoose