The electronic medical record (EMR) has become a fact of life for many dermatologists while others are hesitant to change the way they have practiced and have resisted switching to this form of record keeping. Daniel Siegel, M.D., discusses the ramifications of EMR adoption and outlines the path toward adoption of this technology.
Dr. Siegel, clinical professor of dermatology, SUNY Downstate, and part-time private practitioner at Long Island Skin Cancer, was president of the American Academy of Dermatology in 2012.
Norman Levine, M.D.: I would like to discuss the promise and realities of the adoption of an electronic medical record. Everybody thought this was going to be the answer to many problems and obviously it hasn’t quite worked out that way. What is the current state of EMR usage among dermatologists?
Daniel Siegel, M.D.: I think somewhere between 20 percent and 40 percent are using electronic medical records. I think the term “use” is one you have to define in that some people are fully electronic where they never touch a pen anymore in their office with the rare exception of prescribing a controlled substance prescription.
On the other hand, I think even those of us who have been digital for a long time, will still pick up a pen and spend too much time at the keyboard dealing with some of the glitches within an EMR. The desire is there, but the technological perfection still has a way to go.
Dr. Levine: Will it be possible in five years to practice without an electronic medical record?
Dr. Siegel: That’s more of a legal than a technological question. The state of Massachusetts recently passed a law that if a physician is not a meaningful user of a certified electronic medical record, they will not be able to maintain their license, which would force a lot of doctors out of practice in Massachusetts. But I think that it will be very possible to practice. I mean, good medicine has been practiced in this country for more than a century with paper charts, and in many ways paper charts are still excellent. I think it really is legislative and legal.
Dr. Levine: Could you describe some of the advantages of adopting an electronic medical record?
Dr. Siegel: The obvious advantage from the doctor’s side is that you give up having to store charts. If you have a small office and a busy practice, then you can open up a lot of space in your office by taking old charts, digitizing them, and being electronic going forward. You can open up rooms that can be revenue-productive. That’s a major advantage. The ability to access your records from anywhere using the cell phone or home computer; I think is a wonderful thing. Both of those are big benefits. The ability of patients to have information sent to other doctors fairly rapidly is also a major benefit. Those are really the biggies to be honest. Unfortunately, each of those has downsides, too. Patients can expect you to be “plugged in” 24/7 and therefore always accessible. After all, why should a doctor have a life?
Date: May 01, 2014