"Thanks for calling the CBIS Service Desk. Your call is very important to us. We are currently experiencing troubles with our Citrix logon. It may log you on under a different profile. Please check before you go any further when you're logging in to Citrix."
Citrix is a computer program that allows remote access to information systems.
I imagine the meaning of "log you on under a different profile" means "logging you on as a different user."
The chances of a security breach (ability of unauthorized user to peer into patient's charts they have no business seeing), unauthorized history/order manipulation, or even misidentification error (e.g., a clinician inadvertently acting upon a patient of some other clinician who has a similar name to their own patient) and other distracting work disruptions due to the inconveniences this "trouble" creates are worrisome.
One wonders how every user is being informed of this problem, as not everyone makes it a habit to call the service desk before logging in to clinical systems...
But, alas, this is just a "glitch" (the euphemism used by technophiles for malignant software defects), and, of course, patient safety is never compromised by "glitches."
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| Patient Safety Will Not Be Compromised, We Predict ... So Say Us All. |
-- SS
8/29/12 Addendum:
Apparently the problem was finally solved between 5:30 PM and 9 PM CST on August 27. I first became aware of it at around 8 AM EST August 23. Brings to life the line "either you are in control of your information systems, or they are in control of you."
Also, see the comment thread to this post here, specifically the comments starting at August 28, 2012 12:16:00 PM EDT, to see yet another demonstration of the illogic, unserious attitudes and feelings of entitlement towards patient risk and transparency characteristic of the health IT industry. The anonymous commenter also alleges to have firsthand knowledge of the problem, suggesting they are from U. Chicago, but this cannot be confirmed.
-- SS