Comments on: Joel Diamond 1/24/09 http://www.histalkpractice.com/2009/01/23/joel-diamond-12409/ Physician practice and systems news and opinion Sat, 04 Feb 2012 20:34:20 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 By: Evan Steele, CEO, SRSsoft http://www.histalkpractice.com/2009/01/23/joel-diamond-12409/comment-page-1/#comment-31 Evan Steele, CEO, SRSsoft Mon, 26 Jan 2009 20:49:05 +0000 http://www.histalkpractice.com/2009/01/23/joel-diamond-12409/#comment-31 Dr. Diamond believes he has figured out how to turn a negative into a positive. Unfortunately most patients do not feel the same way his patient does, as witnessed by the findings of the New England Journal of Medicine and the National Research Council, to mention only two. These studies found that patients do prefer eye contact and human interaction and resent their physician’s misdirected focus on a piece of hardware. The underlying structure of traditional EMRs makes it impossible to overcome this challenge, and patients will continue to feel ignored until physicians adopt alternative technologies that accomplish the goals they seek while maintaining the valued patient-physician relationship. Dr. Diamond believes he has figured out how to turn a negative into a positive. Unfortunately most patients do not feel the same way his patient does, as witnessed by the findings of the New England Journal of Medicine and the National Research Council, to mention only two. These studies found that patients do prefer eye contact and human interaction and resent their physician’s misdirected focus on a piece of hardware. The underlying structure of traditional EMRs makes it impossible to overcome this challenge, and patients will continue to feel ignored until physicians adopt alternative technologies that accomplish the goals they seek while maintaining the valued patient-physician relationship.

]]> By: Lyle Berkowitz, MD http://www.histalkpractice.com/2009/01/23/joel-diamond-12409/comment-page-1/#comment-29 Lyle Berkowitz, MD Sat, 24 Jan 2009 22:03:38 +0000 http://www.histalkpractice.com/2009/01/23/joel-diamond-12409/#comment-29 Excellent point Joel! Too often this argument is made by doctors who don't remember what it was like when they had to learn how to write on paper and listen at the same time... there is no doubt some lerning curve here, but eventually - the pros will outweight the cons in the right hands. I still remember my first "awkward" experience during the first month of our EMR implementation. Mrs. C was an energetic and feisty 75yo Italian woman who could talk, and she liked my attention. So when I was busy typing into the EMR as she was talking, she stopped and did say "stop staring so much at that computer and start looking at me". I stopped, and looked at her and said - "I promise I'm paying attention, but I do need to look at the computer to get in all your information. And remember, as our system is integrated throughout our group and the hospital- if you ever see another physician in our group or have to go into the hospital- they will be able to see all your allergies and meds and notes - so it really is a good thing for your health." She thought a moment, and said "OK, you better pay good attention to that computer then!". She "got it" and I knew if she could... then all my other patients would be a piece of cake. Seven years later, I know my patients would be upset if they saw a doctor writing their notes or prescriptions on a piece of paper - they all get it. Excellent point Joel! Too often this argument is made by doctors who don’t remember what it was like when they had to learn how to write on paper and listen at the same time… there is no doubt some lerning curve here, but eventually – the pros will outweight the cons in the right hands.

I still remember my first “awkward” experience during the first month of our EMR implementation. Mrs. C was an energetic and feisty 75yo Italian woman who could talk, and she liked my attention. So when I was busy typing into the EMR as she was talking, she stopped and did say “stop staring so much at that computer and start looking at me”. I stopped, and looked at her and said – “I promise I’m paying attention, but I do need to look at the computer to get in all your information. And remember, as our system is integrated throughout our group and the hospital- if you ever see another physician in our group or have to go into the hospital- they will be able to see all your allergies and meds and notes – so it really is a good thing for your health.” She thought a moment, and said “OK, you better pay good attention to that computer then!”. She “got it” and I knew if she could… then all my other patients would be a piece of cake. Seven years later, I know my patients would be upset if they saw a doctor writing their notes or prescriptions on a piece of paper – they all get it.

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