Well this question depends on who and when you ask. As with any new technology or significant change, there is a learning curve. Remember the new remote for your T.V. or the new cell phone? However, once you learn it, you love it. The same is true of Electronic Medical Records (EMR).
Kansas City Bone & Joint started the journey into EMR in 2005 and have been going strong ever since. Now our chart is available anytime and documentation is done real time. Add the safety features which are built in to alert staff to medication interactions and are built to remind you about care needed just increases the total patient care experience. Ultimately EMR helps not only the provider but the patient as well.
Our nurses love the availability of the chart and can answer most calls right away; they no longer have to search for the ‘paper’ chart. Erin, Dr Samuelson’s nurse said “I love being able to complete a note and send it on for the next step without having to call someone or walk the chart somewhere. It is done all at once.”
Some patients may feel EMR is a foe. This usually stems from providers spending time on the computer documenting, rather than being face to face with the patient. While there are many ways to tackle this concern, at KCBJ most of our physicians utilize scribes to assist with documentation which allows them to spend the extra time with the patient.