Paper

Today during my massage my therapist and I were discussing paper. I love paper. I love opening a book, it fulfills my sensations. The feel, the smell, the weight in my hands. It is one of my favorite things. (I should say that my love for paper is also a point of conflict for me because I also an environmentalist). I hadn't thought about my love for paper in a long time and enjoyed sharing this with Kim.

The hospital that Dr. Mahdavi's office is in went live with their new EHR (electronic health records) system on friday, therefore the hospital will have NO more paper charts. Tuesday I attended a lunch time talk that served to answer questions and address fears or frustrations. There was a physician who was particularly agitated because he wouldn't be able to dictate all of his notes and would be responsible for typing progress notes into the system. Most of his agitation was stirred because he is unable to type, or has never had training in typing. Upon further thought I realized I will be entering the medical field at a time of great transition for many practices and hospitals. Although I have been around computers my entire life and have had exposure to three different EHR systems to date, EHR is very scary to some medical providers because they have never used a computer. I wonder if they will achieve the same level of efficacy they had with paper charts or will they end their careers being frustrated with the new system they were required to conform to.

Some statistics from HealthIT.gov

• 79% of providers report that with an EHR, their practice functions more efficiently
• 82% report that sending prescriptions electronically (e-prescribing) saves time
• 68% of providers see their EHR as an asset with recruiting physicians
• 75% receive lab results faster
• 70% report enhances in data confidentiality

So, although this process maybe scary, it seems there is a lot of data available that supports the change. In addition, it is required that all medical records be electronic in the US by 2014.