In this new century of ever advancing technology the medical
realm has been making drastic changes on what seems to be a day to day basis
but is everything that technology has to offer a good thing? Electronic medical
records in the past decade have been sky rocketing in recent years and while
what seems to be an almost only positive solution to overflowing file cabinets
there may be more drawbacks then meet the eye.
Before even installing an electronic records system
hospitals have to realize that start up costs can be quite high, much more
expensive than traditional file cabinets. In fact, since January of 2011 there has
been 7 billion dollars paid out through the Medicare and Medicaid Electronic
Health Records Incentive Program (spectrum.ieee.org). There must be equipment
bought and once it’s been bought and installed medical charts need to be
converted to electronic form. Even then doctors don’t always know if each patient’s
records have been converted (wisegeek.org). On top of that doctors have to
learn how to use the electronic system. Learning how to become familiarized with
the system may take some time even if they take training before hand which
would cost money as well as needing to pay the trainers to train the
practitioners. This unfamiliarity with technology can create shortened doctor
visits with the doctor struggling to use the new equipment as well. During a
visit to the doctor it can also be easy for the doctor to type incorrect
information or miss out important details especially if they are unfamiliar
with the system (wisegeek.org).
Technology isn’t always reliable as well and a frozen
computer can take away time from patient care. Being dependent on power can also
lead to serious problems during natural disasters.
It’s easy to think that with advancing technology there are
an endless amount of benefits but it’s clear that there are a number of cons
hidden in the shadows.
I guess I never really thought about what the drawbacks were to using electronic records versus doing everything by hand. While it is true that the technology is very expensive and sometimes unreliable, I think the pros do outweigh the cons here, though. It saves medical professionals a lot of precious time when they are dealing with patients. It is 2013, and technology is only going to advance more and more in the coming years, so we have to learn how to use it.
ReplyDeleteI can see how there would be some drawbacks to having an electronic system. Converting paper forms to electronic, I can imagine, would take a great amount of time and money. In the end, I think that electronic medical records can produce lots of advantages. Doctors wouldn't have to search through mounds of paper files and, if the technology has this attribute, it could allow easy sharing and communication of patient medical history. As with every complete change in systems, there's always going to be some drawbacks & money loss. In the long run, I think that it will be worth it. Also, whether paper form or electronic form there is always room for error.
ReplyDeleteI can definitely relate to this topic. My step mom is a part of the IT that helps implement the electronic system. You would not believe the amount of money is spent day to day. Not only doctors have to be trained, but everyone in the office as well. The IT department that my step mom is a part of is a 24 hour/7 days a week team that helps with the trouble shooting and problems the staff runs into. They send in a help desk ticket. This process has required a lot of people to be on call at all times.
ReplyDeleteLaura Mayhew
It really is amazing how much money has to be spent on installing and maintaining an electronic system. I agree with your points that there are significant drawbacks regarding cost and reliability. Most importantly I agree that training the staff to use the system correctly comes with its own set of challenges. I worked within a hotel going through a systems change and it was very difficult for some employees to catch on after using the older system for so many years. I think this goes back to the fact that on going training is very important when using technology. I'm interested to see how system are going to be improved upon in the up coming years.
ReplyDeleteMeaghann Smith
Like Laura, a family member is an employee of the local healthcare system and they are responsible for training all the doctors and staff where this new electronic record system is being implemented. I have seen the amount of time and effort that goes into setting up and continuing this process and can only imagine how much it will cost the hospital. I do see the drawbacks about the conversion, but I also see more positive aspects. By hospitals doing this, they are creating jobs for people in the community and also you are able to go to any hospital or urgent care in that health care system and have your record pulled up immediately. This makes it easier for the doctor because the current patients record is able to pulled up. Doctors are also able to pull up patients history/charts on their personal computers I believe which would help in case there are any questions the staff or on call doctor may have that is unfamiliar with the patient they are seeing. I think the conversion is a good investment that will last a long time and be easier than paper records.
ReplyDelete-Lauren Gorowski
I like this post, because I have never really thought about any drawbacks that might occur from having everything switched over to electronics. For instance in the case of a natural disaster when power might not be available. However, though I know hospitals invest in generators in case of emergencies. Overall, I see more good to the electronic record system. How nice would it be for a doctor who you have not seen before to just be able to pull up your medical history without you having to go to previous doctors to pick up your records every time you see a new doctor.
ReplyDelete