Humping it and the modern Electronic Medical Record.

I hear all the time how doctors, especially older ones (God forbid I said it!), are comfortable with their old paper charts and don’t want to change to an electronic medical record (EMR) system.  Young and old alike, though, there are real concerns with how much additional time they will have to spend charting with a modern, non-paper chart system.  I will be honest and say any such system will not run itself.  Yes, indeed you actually have to still do work.  But so what?  I’m busy from 8 AM to 5 PM, Monday through Friday, reviewing charts, looking at incoming digitally-faxed records and test results, calling back patients, and e-prescribing new medications and refilling old ones.  However, with any new type of change in lifestyle, there is an adaptation phase that eventually works itself out and allows one to be just as efficient as they were before the change happened.  Who knows?  Maybe even more efficient!  The organization that an electronic medical record has brought to my office has been amazing.  I rarely dictate or edit notes at home anymore, and I can usually walk into the office the next morning and spend about 5-10 minutes cleaning up and signing notes from the previous day.  Life can be very good with an electronic medical record, provided the user grows with it and adapts constructively!

Dr. West is an endocrinologist in private practice in Washington, DC. He completed fellowship training in Endocrinology and Metabolism at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine.  Dr. West opened The Washington Endocrine Clinic, PLLC, as a solo practice in 2009.