Physicians Practice - February 2008 - (Page 39)

smokes in the ﬁrst place, such as she’s living in an abusive situation, and smoking is a coping mechanism. “You have to have the common sense to know when a patient is being logical,” says Zaroukian. “Then looking at an EMR together is ﬁne. When their comments are emotionally charged, that’s not the best time to look at a screen.” Finally, it can be easy for patients to blame an EMR for “capturing” a it’s partly a memory problem. You might prescribe a medication that can be taken only with food, for example. You explain this “but patients are often nervous in an exam room and can’t remember what you’ve told them,” Corley notes. Then they go to the nurse and ask, “What’d he say?” Your EMR can print out patientcentric information and a summary of the day’s visit. Schnakenberg says TYPING TENSION “The patient got quiet — really quiet. I finally turned and asked why. She said, ‘I don’t want you to make a mistake.’” Lawrence Schilder, oncologist physician’s attention. But your own personality and practice style will largely dictate whether this complaint arises. “In the past, you could always get buried in the paper chart just as easily,” says Zaroukian. WHAT’S IN IT FOR THEM? Show a patient how he can personally beneﬁt from you using an EMR during an exam, and you’ll likely gain quick approval. Tell your patient that keeping a complete, accessible, and secure medical record will help you to deliver better care, and that the EMR will help to expedite traditionally slow activities, such as receiving lab reports or consult letters. Also, gain buy-in by keeping patients apprised of what the EMR is doing while you’re ensconced in an ofﬁce visit with the patient. “It’s important that the physician involve the patient,” says Corley. “Right now the system is checking for drug interactions, or projecting their cholesterol levels over time.” Finally, think about patient compliance, which by some estimates runs less than 20 percent. Perhaps WWW.PHYSICIANSPRACTICE.COM that all patients leave his ofﬁce with a detailed printout. With elderly patients this is particularly beneﬁcial, as “they can give it to an ER physician in Florida,” he says. It’s not a complete note, but it gives an unfamiliar physician a reasonable idea of what’s going on with a particular patient, from health concerns to drug usage. Surely, an EMR offers many advantages to both your patients and your own practice operations. But, as Schilder says, “There are no unmixed blessings.” Spend the necessary time and attention to ease your patients’ concerns about this powerful but rather daunting piece of technology. Your patients will be glad you did. • Shirley Grace, senior writer for Physicians Practice, holds an MA in nonﬁction writing from The Johns Hopkins University. Her articles have appeared in numerous publications, including The Washington Post and Notre Dame Business magazine. She can be reached at sgrace@physicianspractice.com. FEBRUARY 2008 | PHYSICIANS PRACTICE | 39 http://www.altapoint.com http://www.altapoint.com http://WWW.PHYSICIANSPRACTICE.COM

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Physicians Practice - February 2008

Physicians Practice - February 2008 Contents The Bigger Picture: Your Future is in Your Hands Letters Physicians Practice Pearls: Creating an A+ Practice Noteworthy Cover Story: Conquering Time: 5 Keys to a More Efficient Practice In Balance: A Family Affair Technology: Making EMRs Work in the Exam Room In Practice: "I've Got Some Bad News" The Tech Doctor - The EMR: Savior or Poseur? Ask the Experts NEW! Healthonomics: How to Handle Health Savings Accounts The Administrator's Desk: Finishing School for New Managers Human Resources: Is Your Partner Impaired The Great Practice Makeover: Too Well-Liked for His Own Good? Coding Idealab: 'Why I Blog' Classifieds Advertiser Index

Physicians Practice - February 2008

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