Residents Skip Lectures to Catch up on Electronic Health Record (EHR) Charting
http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/812566?nlid=36143_589&src=wnl_edit_medn_fmed&spon=34
Here is my response to her:
EHRs by themselves can’t make offices more efficient and often have the
converse effect, like we are experiencing here.
As long as EHRs are used as data repositories and nothing more, they
offer little advantage over dictating (though I, having mostly grown up with
EHR, am far more efficient on EHR – even a bad one like ours – than dictating).
The only way EHRs make offices work better is when offices transform
their practice around FULLY FUNCTIONAL systems.
What is a fully functional EHR?
One integrated with an automatic patient history program like Instant
Medical History (http://www.medicalhistory.com/home/index.asp); a patient
portal allowing e-visits and easy, asynchronous dr-pt communication; and the
ability to easily create and maintain patient registries. Along with a modern office workflow that
emphasizes teamwork with a family doc leading nurses, MAs, pharmacists, and
physician extenders, EHRs can then make doctor’s and patient’s lives better. Under this model, docs only see patients for
about 50% of the day, leaving the rest of the day to do e-visits, connect and
coordinate care with patients using the patient portal, and take care of
refills and other paperwork.
But a system without those essential
components, plunked into an office still operating with mid-20th
century processes? Disaster.
EHRs are not a magic solution in and of themselves. They are a tool to help us realize that
better vision of 21st century patient-centered care.
If you can find this book online or in the library, it is worth a read –
even if you just read the speech about “Dr. Olderway” and “Dr. Youngerway”:
I am excited to see your interest growing re: systems of care. Our specialty needs people who are unafraid
to challenge the status quo!
Jen
And that's all I have to say about that.
