The trouble began when I needed to open the electronic health record (EHR) system for the tenth time that day. EHRs have significantly changed the way we practice medicine. They have completely eliminated the need for storage and transport of paper charts, reduced prescription errors secondary to illegible handwritings of physicians and provided an excellent platform to maximize billing for services rendered. However, in terms of creating a smooth workflow for physicians and in facilitating meaningful face to face encounters with our patients, all EHR systems have completely failed.
Sara, the nurse for Ms. Tucker, called me saying, “Doc, Ms. Tucker is back from the cardiac catheterization lab. She is complaining of a mild headache.”
“It must be from the nitroglycerine I gave her in the lab; please give the ordered Tylenol, it will resolve soon,” I said.
“I don’t have any orders, Doc. All the orders for this patient are on hold,” she replied.
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