A Shortcut to Wasted Time nyti.ms/QdK9Lq On the pitfalls of EMR documentation.
— Heidi Roman MD (@hkroman) November 23, 2012
This article is one of the most thoughtful pieces I’ve read about the challenges and benefits of EMR versus paper charts. It hits the nail on the head of the opportunities that are available with EMR, but also the stark realities of what’s happening with EMR implementations as well. Go read it and I think you’ll agree.
International survey shows two-thirds of US primary care docs using electronic medical records, up from 46% in ’09 ow.ly/fttKR #EMR
— Commonwealth Fund (@commonwealthfnd) November 24, 2012
I’m always suspicious of EMR adoption rates that are put out there. This one puts EMR adoption at 69%. What I think is more significant is the change in EMR adoption rate from their previous survey in 2009 where EMR adoption was at 46%. A 23% increase in EMR adoption is definitely a trend, but we didn’t need a survey to tell us that shift was happening.
Ok if one more nurse writes “please see!!!!!” in the EMR next to a stable pt who’s simply annoying I’m going to set fire to this place.
— Dr Killpatient (@Talesfromtheer) November 25, 2012
You should probably just go read all of Dr. Killpatient on Twitter. Yes, I’m sure many of you will cringe at what’s tweeted. I did in some cases too, but it is a really transparent look into one ER doc’s views. I wonder what his nurses would think of the tweet above. It’s also interesting what’s documented in the EMR. I wonder what Dr. Killpatients note looked like. Probably not as specific as the tweet.
69%? I’m hoping that sometime in the next decade or 2 we might get there. Few doctors that won’t lose out noticeably on CMS payments probably won’t bother for years – until forced to, perhaps by insurance companies. Many doctors who lose out by not doing it are putting it off as long as possible. Some doctors are going to a concierge system – they have even less use for it.