opinion

Getting the most out of EHRs

Connected coverage - selected articles on trends, challenges and controversies in the changing world of medicine

Posted June 4, 2012

Print  |   Email  |   Respond  |   Reprints  |   Like Facebook  |   Share Twitter  |   Tweet Linkedin

The electronic health record is changing how physicians deliver care — and doctors are wrestling with how to make sure those changes are positive.

As more physicians buy EHRs for their practices, they are learning how digital records can improve the practice and patient care, and the limits of their effectiveness. American Medical News has reported about how physicians are working toward getting EHRs to adapt better to their needs. In a related physician commentary, we presented a personalized view of what’s required for EHRs to live up to their potential.

Doctors’ love-hate relationship with EHRs

Knowing what doctors like and dislike about their EHRs can help physicians make wiser choices about what system to buy — and avoid the painful and expensive process of de-installing a system. Read more

Search is on to cure EHR alert fatigue

Alerts on EHRs are designed to let physicians know when there might be a patient safety issue involved in a medical decision, but too many unnecessary alerts can become a bother. Vendors and others are trying to work on systems that will make alerts more meaningful. Read more

The EHR: It’s about our patients, not technology

Physicians have a message for EHR vendors and advocates: While the technology is good, in the end it’s not all about bells and whistles. It’s about how the technology benefits patients, and physician input is necessary to ensure that those benefits happen. Read more

Back to top


ADVERTISEMENT

ADVERTISE HERE


Featured
Read story

Confronting bias against obese patients

Medical educators are starting to raise awareness about how weight-related stigma can impair patient-physician communication and the treatment of obesity. Read story


Read story

Goodbye

American Medical News is ceasing publication after 55 years of serving physicians by keeping them informed of their rapidly changing profession. Read story


Read story

Policing medical practice employees after work

Doctors can try to regulate staff actions outside the office, but they must watch what they try to stamp out and how they do it. Read story


Read story

Diabetes prevention: Set on a course for lifestyle change

The YMCA's evidence-based program is helping prediabetic patients eat right, get active and lose weight. Read story


Read story

Medicaid's muddled preventive care picture

The health system reform law promises no-cost coverage of a lengthy list of screenings and other prevention services, but some beneficiaries still might miss out. Read story


Read story

How to get tax breaks for your medical practice

Federal, state and local governments offer doctors incentives because practices are recognized as economic engines. But physicians must know how and where to find them. Read story


Read story

Advance pay ACOs: A down payment on Medicare's future

Accountable care organizations that pay doctors up-front bring practice improvements, but it's unclear yet if program actuaries will see a return on investment. Read story


Read story

Physician liability: Your team, your legal risk

When health care team members drop the ball, it's often doctors who end up in court. How can physicians improve such care and avoid risks? Read story

  • Stay informed
  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • RSS
  • LinkedIn