[fragmede]

As programmers, the bus factor is something to be noted and avoided, but in medicine, it goes the other direction. Private practice is one doctor, and a whole support staff for that single individual. Why are we so eager to be replaceable?

[robertlagrant]

Doctors keep patient notes, and EHRs and patients can recall histories separately to that doctor. Doctors also go through relatively standardised training. That single individual is important, but it's not the same.

What's more the same would be if they were practicing healthcare on a species that they had invented, and no one knew anything about it, and the species was crucial to a company's survival.

[fragmede]

Doctor Smith's ENT doctor's office has a bus factor of one. If doctor Smith dies, that company goes under. Their patients are going to have to find a new ENT doctor. There's a life long relationship people have with their doctors. If that doctor retires, it's a big deal to all of their patients who now have to find a new doctor. ENTs are fairly standardized, thankfully, so their patients can just go elsewhere if there's a bus event, but doctor smith is crucial to the company's survival. The continuity of business plan there is patients can find another ENT doctors and the employees can go to another practice.

Aka, why we should ask vendors for their source code in case they go under.