Some doctors worry about how EHRs slow them down. I worry about how fast they let us go. Too much dropdown makes documentation too easy. And when it comes to doctors and their EHRs, there’s a fine line between efficient and lazy. Seeing the line is important because when it comes to workflow the drive to completion typically overpowers the obligation to showcase ... Continue Reading about EHRs and the Problem of Efficiency
The SmartPhrase as Medicine’s Old Technology
I’ve been thinking about SmartPhrases recently. For the uninformed, the SmartPhrase is a pre-fabricated bit of clinical language used in EHR documentation. We use SmartPhrases to enter frequently used language. It makes life in front of an EHR (EPIC specifically) easier. The SmartPhrase has evolved as the elemental unit of the electronic health record. These ... Continue Reading about The SmartPhrase as Medicine’s Old Technology
When Doctors Choose a Job Based on the EHR
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 ... Continue Reading about When Doctors Choose a Job Based on the EHR
The EHR and Rage Against the Machine
The EHR is the latest focus of our rage against the machine. Case in point: Chrissy Farr’s poke at the EHR in today’s Fast Company. Red meat for angry old doctors. What might be interesting is to take a bunch of millennial doctors and make them work for a month with clip boards, fax machines, mailed letters and emulsion films on view boxes. Then we could write a ... Continue Reading about The EHR and Rage Against the Machine
My AVS Dilemma
I'm always looking to improve how I use technology. My latest move is to clean up the AVS . The AVS is the after visit summary created by our EHR - it’s an aggregated mashup of meds, recommendations, and clinical goodness. The power of the AVS is in the hands of the provider who shapes smart phrases and customized text for an patient experience that extends beyond the ... Continue Reading about My AVS Dilemma
EPIC and Analog: A Tale of Two Offices
There are two doctors I work with: those using EPIC in my hospital network and those outside of EPIC. Increasingly, the experience with the two providers is very different. EPIC practice. I have full access to everything that’s ever been done to a child. After I see a patient my findings and impression are immediately available to the referring doctor. As labs ... Continue Reading about EPIC and Analog: A Tale of Two Offices