Another perspective on the EHR

Regina Harrell, MD, detailed a visit to one of her homebound patients and her difficulty in holistically recording his health using an EHR in an article published Nov. 17 on NPR.org.

After visiting with her patient, who has dementia, Harrell attempted to transcribe the details of her appointment in the EHR. She’s looking to meet meaningful use criteria to avoid penalty payments.

The computerized checklists and forms run straight and narrow, leaving no room for exceptional situations. Her patient’s dementia makes this supposedly simple categorization hard: when asked if he is oriented to person, place, and time, Harrell runs into a challenge. Her patient knows his wife and home and is inconsolable anywhere else, but he is no longer concerned with time. Several instances like these arise, and she finds herself spending more time on the EHR than speaking with patients and their families.

To read more about Harrell’s insights on the use of EHR and what it means for patient care, click the link below: