This past lecture, we had Jody Ranck, an expert in health technology, come speak to us in class. He specifically discussed technology in the health sector related to patients. Ranck talked about many different areas, but one aspect he continually emphasized was “data is care”. He strongly promoted making patient electronic files and concluded that, in the U.S., this process will take a long time due to the fact that there already is a system in place.
There are some doctors who have begun the transition to e-files. One of those doctors is my father, Gerardo Lanes of West Broward Gastroenterology Associates, who started making the transition to electronic records back in 2008. As one of the first doctors in the area to make the transition to electronic patient files, my dad had a lot of knowledge in dealing with this new trend. Recently, I asked him about this experience, why he made the transition, and what have been the effects of the shift. My dad explained to me the initial reason he made the transition to electronic files is because there was a government mandate that everyone move towards electronic records. The main reason the government wanted e-files was to gather data and, in the end, cut down on the cost of healthcare and increase communication. He then broke it down into two categories: cost and efficiency, and the pros and cons of each aspect of the change.
Many people believe that e-files will cut costs for doctors. In one article titled, “Electronic Medical Records Poised To Cut Costs, Improve Patient Care,” it stated that one obstacle many physicians will face is the initial start-up cost of transitioning. My father has a very familiar experience to this belief. The initial startup cost of getting the technology necessary to do e-files was very expensive. There was the cost of installing the new software, teaching himself and his partners to learn how to use the new software (opportunity cost of wasted time), and purchasing computers with the software to be placed in every patient room to name a few. While this cost was extremely burdensome, because my dad’s office went to electronic records, there were able to rework their contracts with insurance companies to make more of a profit. Additionally, the administrative work of billing was diminished greatly. However, there is still the current cost of maintaining the software, upgrading it occasionally, and making sure it does not break down. In the end, my father stated it had been a wash and his office had ended up even.
My dad then went on to talk about his efficiency now that he has made the transition. In the paper, “Positive effects of electronic patient records on three clinical activities,” it concluded that physicians experience an overall reduction in mental workload and had better communication with nurses due to this technology. My father has a similar story. With regards to patient care, it “makes me a better doctor because it makes me ask a better history and think more with all of the tabs, giving [the patient] more value for the visit.” Additionally, the electronic files allow him to send his consultation directly back to referring doctors. Another positive is, with a history of terrible handwriting (nearly illegible in my opinion), with electronic filing, nurses can now read his opinions and recommendations for patients. However, there are some drawbacks. Due to the nature of the software, it is slower to go through electronic files rather than paper. Additionally, if the electricity goes out, he is unable to do work. He concluded it takes about the same amount of time to see a patient, and my father noted there was little productivity or efficiency increase from this transition.
In the end, my father has seen little change with the introduction of e-files. His costs are about on par with his previous situation, while he is just as efficient as he was with paper filings. My father’s experience matches a study that had been done by the New York Times titled, “Little Benefit Seen, So Far, in Electronic Patient Records.” The article concludes that electronic health records do not increase efficiency at hospitals as much as some politicians are led to believe. While the doctors and hospitals may see little change in their practices, the electronic files do lead to better data gathering for patients.
“Electronic Medical Records Poised To Cut Costs, Improve Patient Care”
“Positive effects of electronic patient records on three clinical activities”
“Little Benefit Seen, So Far, in Electronic Patient Records”
No comments:
Post a Comment