| American politicians have high hopes for Electronic | | | | examination, scrolling pages and clicking check |
| Health Records (EHR). Many see EHR as a cure | | | | boxes. Their focus is diverted from direct patient |
| for rising medical costs and a model for | | | | engagement to an electronic gizmo. Patients hate |
| streamlining the delivery of healthcare. President | | | | that alienated feeling. |
| Obama supported the passage of the American | | | | 5) Lack of standardization. This may be the death |
| Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, | | | | knell for current EHR. Many EHR programs are |
| supporting EHR to the tune of billions of dollars. | | | | bound to be outdated or noncompliant when clear |
| Unfortunately, lofty visions of the paperless | | | | criterion defines what is "certifiable" under new |
| medical office are far from reality. In a nutshell, | | | | legislation. EHR vendors who are now in the |
| here are the challenges of implementing EHR. | | | | forefront may well be out of business if they are |
| 1) Too expensive. Doctors are already | | | | unable to meet final eligibility requirements. |
| hard-strapped maintaining their offices. EHR | | | | Despite current limitations of EHR, other |
| programs cost many thousand of dollars to | | | | technology that enhances office efficiency and |
| purchase, implement, and maintain. For many | | | | reduces cost is available. Scanning software that |
| physicians, the time frame to recoup their | | | | stores old charts in a digital archive makes sense. |
| expense is beyond their remaining years of | | | | This may save hundreds of dollars each year for |
| practice. Even with current financial incentives. | | | | costs related to records storage and retrieval. |
| 2) Poor investment. EHRs are often touted as a | | | | Online appointment scheduling is another brilliant |
| wise investment. Not true. Investments generate | | | | battle-tested technology that costs little to nothing |
| current or future revenue; EHRs do neither. | | | | to implement. |
| 3) Dubious efficiency. Many practices have already | | | | So before taking the plunge into the deep |
| changed from EHR to voice transcription | | | | uncharted waters of EHR, take a step into digital |
| software, or have abandoned EHR in favor of | | | | chart storage and online appointment scheduling - |
| paper-based systems. | | | | proven and inexpensive technology for |
| 4) Patient-Doctor distance. Many physicians who | | | | professional offices that really works. |
| use EHR focus on their laptop during a patient | | | | |