Digital Paper

Paper has been a way of doing business in healthcare for centuries.  Fax improved this over the last few decades.  Now it seems that some folks in our governement have discovered that computer files can be a replacement for Fax as a method to exchange paper.

Is this idea worthwhile?  Maybe a decade ago.
Is this idea distracting? Yes, but only moderately so.
Do I find it amusing that they don't use any of the meaningful use formats to encode semantically interoperable content in the examples?  Yes, because otherwise I would cry.

That same blue button, using standard formats could enable VA hospitals and CMS to support meaningful use using the standards identified in the Interim Final Rule.  I hope they realize how easy it would be to get there.  If not, I suppose I'll have to post the transform myself.