| | October 2018UTLOOK HealthcareTech As I sat down to write this article, I thought about how many types of Electronic Health Record systems (EHRs) I've worked with during my 20+years as a primary care doctor, educator, and physician leader. Including the one my current employer is working to implement, I count at least six different systems; that number probably doubles if I add secondhand exposure to EHRs from my husband's clinical practices. Some implementations were done well, some not so well.I learned how to use technology quickly, and I tried to be an early adopter of effective new systems, or at least been the early majority. Generally, I'm enthusiastic to try something new and better that will help me provide better patient care and communicate better with colleagues. That's what using EHRs is all about. Doctors want to take good care of patients, I promise. This means, first and foremost, that we want to be psychically present for those people who have entrusted us with their own or their family's health. EHR systems that work well feel like an assistant in the room, helping to enhance my efficiency while allowing the patient-doctor connection to remain central. I love, for example, having the ability to insert a photo into a patient's medical record (from my phone, no less!) or to turn my monitor toward the patient and show them their X-ray and see the awe and understanding on their face. That's an amazing function of electronic records. As a clinician using EHRs, one of my central concerns is how a system can help me synthesize and share the patient's story--the narrative arc of the By Lori Tishler, Vice President of Medical Affairs, Commonwealth Care AllianceLori TishlerTHE ROLE OF EHRs IN HEALTHCARE LANDSCAPEIN MY OPINION
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