“The computer now sits between us.” – Dr. Jeannine R. Turner, Northwestern Memorial Hospital, on using a computer while talking to patients
Like Dr. Turner, many physicians are finding that the time involved in complying with increasingly complicated federal mandates for electronic medical recordkeeping “EMR” comes at an expense to patient care. According to a recent article in the Chicago Tribune, physicians faced with technical glitches and pages and pages of data entry are experiencing more impersonal appointments, late nights and a higher risk potential for misdiagnosis. A recent study by Mayo Clinic researchers working with the American Medical Association (AMA) found that more than half of physicians felt emotionally exhausted. In fact, meeting “meaningful objectives” to receive federal funding has become so cumbersome that increasing numbers of physicians will be penalized financially this year.
“This ‘digital red tape’ is one example of why physicians today are opting to start a concierge medicine practice,” says Rob Lewis, Vice President, Physician Marketing Operations of Specialdocs Consultants. With fewer patients, physicians have more time to provide personalized care during each appointment and feel less burdened to multitask in order to complete extensive electronic forms.
Chicago Tribune: Click to read article.