Flawed Human Behavior Could Threaten Success Of Stimulus EMR Incentive Program

By Jeff Nelson

As someone involved in the digital document and content management business I have watched the approaching stimulus incentives for EMR (electronic medical records) with a great deal of interest. There's no question that if implemented correctly the stimulus program can accelerate the adoption of more efficient (computer based) record management, resulting in improved health care and reduced costs. But the ultimate success of stimulus funded electronic medical record systems could be jeopardized by certain human behavioral flaws that often affect many information technology projects. I'm referring to the irrational and counterproductive tendencies of people to make projects increasingly complicated to the point that chances for a positive return are diminished considerably. I have witnessed this behavior and its' results many times over the years when seemingly intelligent people pile on layer after layer of system complexity. The fancy and overly complicated result is caused by a condition I call Swiss Army Knife Infatuation. Swiss Army knife Infatuation (SAKI for short) is an attraction to does-everything solutions for situations best approached with a scalpel. I would like to go on record right now by saying that I really hope that my tax supported stimulus dollars go towards the funding of scalpels, not Swiss Army knives.

Before discussing why excessive complexity in the stimulus EMR program is not a good thing it's worth looking at why it is at risk of occurring in the first place. What drives the human tendency to over-complicate information technology projects?