Quote:
Originally Posted by ilovetv
I think they're aiming for having primary care doctors that actually know their patients by having the time with each one to actually converse and learn about the patient's whole health and lifestyle picture.
A worthy goal, but from what I've seen I think feeding the computer or iPad the information "it" demands, and clicking the right check-boxes to have canned, scripted text fill in that has excess info in it that doesn't even apply to this particular person, for the electronic medical record (EMR), is going to suck up most of the clinicians' time and attention.
I've seen it in visits and hospital stays up north and here, and the nurses and drs. I know have to wrestle The Thing at the expense of interacting with and caring for the patient. But that's what the feds and laws are mandating. It's driving seasoned, skilled clinicians to seek other work right when they're needed the most in clinical practice.
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I'm not sure I agree with this observation - at least not in theory. Nothing drives me more nuts than when I see my doctor and he asks ME when the last time I had a colonoscopy or whether I had such and such shot or what drugs I am on. It is unconscionable that he doesn't have that information at the tip of his fingers in digital form. In fact, I would expect his iPad or whatever, to start flashing in big red characters that I am due for a certain test or inoculation as soon as he pulls up my records. It should also flash a warning that the drug he is about to prescribe is dangerous in combination with one that another specialist already has me on.
The notion that doctors have to rifle through reams of paper to find any information is mind numbing in today's hi tech world. In a 21st century world of medical technology, we are literally killing ourselves with 19th century record keeping.