I recently had lunch with a young doctor new to our community. The conversation wandered on to how she settled on her new position and the EHR was identified as one of her key selection criteria. She heavily favored positions with institutions running EPIC.

Interesting, I thought. Because when I took my first job, the brand of manilla folder used in the patient chart played no role in my decision. Clearly times have changed. And so have the doctors.

What does this tell us about doctors and technology?

Not everybody hates electronic health records. The generation that never felt paper has officially entered the clinical workforce. And despite the popular press and their drive to perpetuate anti-EHR sentiment, not everyone hates EHRs.

Our experiences are increasingly defined by our tools. The clinical tools that surround us go a long way in determining our quality of life. So the EHR is likely to shape how we view a position. I’m working on my second EHR system in a decade and my day-to-day life is very different.

Technology can draw or repel talent. The technology we use and the systems we choose are likely to impact the docs we recruit and the talent we retain. Hospital systems that use dated and/or dysfunctional EHR systems are likely to feel the impact at some point.

An isolated case you might think. But the truth is that millennial physicians see the world and the workplace through a very different lens.

Image via Eva Blue/Flickr