Doctors Allergic To Electronic Record-Keeping

One item of interest mentioned here is the fact that doctors spent money on EMRs/EHRs and never used them, and I have seen that too. It’s not an easy one day switch, it requires training and one big word, commitment. If you get that last one, the rest will usually fall in to place. Right now though, the expense is more than what many can afford too with some kind of subsidy, prices have gone up just like everything else and with integration, they are a little more complicated than they were a few years ago too, but once the money issue is solved, the big word is still commitment and a Tablet PC works hand in hand with medical records. As a matter of fact, they are good for anyone who attends meetings, any industry. BD

Doctors in New Jersey remain reluctant to bring electronic medical record systems into their offices, despite the federal government championing the technology and laws that let hospitals subsidize some of the cost. Such systems consist of hardware and software with capabilities that include tracking laboratory test results, maintaining patient histories and detecting harmful drug interactions.

Carr says his own doctor spent $170,000 on an electronic system that has made a visit to his office like “night and day” compared with pen-and-paper days.

Rothkopf sees clear benefits in the e-system that he uses. “I went from having four full-time employees to one full-time [employee] and one part-time [employee],” he says. “I don’t have reams of charts anymore. My cash flow is better.”

“The technology is not at a point yet where it can do everything for every doctor,” says Rothkopf. “Whereas a vascular surgeon might only dictate a few words during a brief office visit with a patient, an internist might have a very lengthy narrative.”