I’ve now seen two really excellent physicians really stumble when it comes to using an electronic medical record, and it puts them at a severe disadvantage. While they could easily perform a better and faster physical than me, take a better history, and come up with a better list of possible diagnoses, I’ve got them beat hands-down when it comes to entering orders, medications, consults, or clinic notes. They hunt and peck with two fingers, staring at the keyboard, and click everywhere very cautiously. They’ve learned one way to get the system to do what they want it to do, and while it works, it makes a lot of wasted time. One of the physicians even told me he has to come in on weekends to get all his notes written, because it takes him so long.

We’re moving toward a medical record; if you’re not comfortable with computers, and don’t know how to use them effectively, hire the neighborhood whiz to come give you a few lessons. You’ll save immense amounts of time in the future.

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