Straight talk on EMRS: DOCTOR TO DOCTOR
Hi I am a new poster here. I am an internist.
I am a physician who is able to write computer code (mostly in .NET and MSFT SQL Server). I was really sick of EMRs written for IT professionals and not for doctors. I am an internal medicine doctor and decided, I went to medical school, I know how to write a note and I know to code. Immediately as a physcian I figured, let me write my own code. You would be surprised at the common sense things that fancy $3000+ EMRs don't get (its because computer programmers are not doctors and they try to make the medical visit like a trip to Wal-Mart). I decided to write a program to do 1 thing and do it well: WRITE A HISTORY AND PHYSICAL. Write it fast, and make it accurate. I coded an app in 2005 and over the last 3 years have basically used it for all my H&P's. You can save documents to your hard drive, back it up and even encrypt it. Its simple and I got news for you, its not rocket science even though the EMR companies make it so.
As this point I am still developing it. I can write a note that you can print for a chart, save, search etc. The code is actually simple. At the least it saves you some dollars with transcription (I know how that adds up, a close relative runs a transcription service. Don't be taken in by the "gee-whiz" technology pushers. Remember you are the doctor. You went to medical school. You know that regardless of what EMR you get, patients want your attention, they don't care about the fancy bells and whistles EMR unless it gets them better care. The tech/IT people are literally stumbling around in the dark looking for the light switch. Whats worse, once they think they have found it, they want you to pay them thousands to write a note that you spent your professional life learning how to write.
I just wanted some input and some physicians to give me some input on the following.
1) How important is the H&P?
2) Do you feel that EMR vendors are so in love with technology that they forget what we are all about
3) How important is being able to write a note fast and without a template?
4) Do you like templates, why or why not?
I am not a computer programmer, I am a doctor (but I came to the conclusion that I know more about code than coders know about medicine). Your input would be appreciated.
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