How Electronic Health Records Impact Physician–Patient Relationship

A 62-year-old woman presents with severe [vertigo] that has increased in intensity over the past 10 years. She has been evaluated and treated by a variety of physicians at several institutions. One of the reasons the patient has changed doctors is her sense that her previous doctors did not listen to her. As you begin to take her history and type it into the electronic health record (EHR), she shares with you her fears that she is going to end up in a wheelchair like her mother, and she becomes tearful. You stop typing and realize you have spent most of the appointment staring at the computer monitor. You are running an hour late, and four patients are waiting to see you.

Discussion

The adoption of health information technology into medical practice will likely lead to significant improvements in healthcare. Congress is betting on it. With the passage of the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health Act (HITECH) in 2009, the federal government, through Medicare and Medicaid, has incentivized clinicians and hospitals who demonstrate “meaningful use” of EHRs. In addition to improving quality and coordination of care, HITECH was designed to decrease medical errors, protect the privacy and security of personal health information, and generate savings.