Author: Jenny Shao

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Doctors Must Help Transforming EMR

Doctors and patients often complain about EMRs, often for the same reasons. Both say that doctors spend so much time on the computer, i.e., the number of clicks, taps, scroll up and down required to execute a routine task, or to find a result or report, doctors spend less time focusing on patient’s real needs of care.

Many doctors assume that an EMR system should simply mimic their simple paper processes; this concept has caused many of the problems associated with EMR today. The doctor needs to understand that EMR capabilities are far more beyond paper; it stands to reason there would be differences and complexity.

However, there are ways to integrate EMRs well into the clinical visit, to improve the doctor-patient relationship:

  • Preview the patient’s history and current presentation in EMR: getting familiar with the pertinent chief complaint and other clinical information before greeting the patient
  • Value the first minute by talking to the patient, not using or being busy with any technology
  • Explain what you’re doing: be open about everything you’re doing with the EMR in the patient’s presence.
  • Value the EMR: talk about the benefits of the EMR, use it as a useful tool for engaging patients; for example, let the patient look at the screening while you enter data, read and interpret lab results, and specialists’ reports. Always encourage the patient to ask questions and confirm the accuracy of information.
  • Be positive: if you display negative emotion, it influences the patient, leaves a wrong impression of the visit. The patient will never complain about a lousy EMR but will remember the unpleasant clinical experience and a frustrated doctor.
  • Keep eye contact: maintain it as much as possible throughout the visit. When a patient starts discussing a sensitive or emotional topic, always turn away from the screen and look only at the patient.

These practices can build trust with the patient, ensure the accuracy of the information entered into EMR, educate the patient, make the patient feels more participatory in their healthcare.

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Dr Henry Plummer, a Diversified Genius

Dr. Henry Plummer was a diversified genius. He was a physician, scientist, and engineer. One of his significant contributions to clinical practice is the implementation of a unified medical record system in Mayo Clinic. The medical records of the same patient were always kept in one location, in chronological order. That was in 1907, and the first patient record was created on July 1.

113 years later, we are building electronic medical record systems, trying hard to unify medical record numbers for the same patient across clinics, hospitals, cities, health systems, countries, and regions.

We are now trying to connect and integrate patients’ information from all perspectives, including clinical conditions, health status, social determinants, objective data given by laboratories, modalities, devices, and subjective feelings, personal preferences about how we want to be taken care of.

In the near future, everyone is possibly going to be accompanied by a ‘data buddy’ knowing more about ‘Who I Am’.

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Safely Back to Work during COVID-19 Pandemic Period

It is time to discuss how we can go back to work safely during these unprecedented times. Here what I witnessed in Shanghai, China, we went back to work in the middle of February. It has been three months so far, with no suspected cases identified and no cross-infection reported. 

Three simple and effective methods were applied:

1) wash hands

2) wear mask

3) ensure the safety of office and office building.

1. Wash Hands – we formed the habit of washing hands with soap consciously. For example, wash hands before grabbing a coffee, preparing or eating food, rubbing our eyes, and applying lip-sticks. Keep your hands away from your face. Wash hands every time you press the buttons in the lift or the copy machine. Alternatively, put a bottle of hand sanitizer on every office desk, apply it when you see it. Sometimes you may forget to wash hands (that is normal), do NOT panic. A small amount of virus does NOT knock us down.

2. Wear Mask – we wear a mask at work, on the way to work, and in every public place. On the street, taxi, subway, restaurants, shopping malls. I run every morning in the street for 6km – I wear a mask for the first 500 meters.

3. Ensure the safety of office and office building – everyone working in an office building is registered, and every single entry is checked. Each person needs to scan a barcode (generated automatically by a telecommunication or social media platform provider), showing whether they have been to any risky districts, cities, or outside of the country. Everyone has their temperature checked as well.

We fought hard to save lives from January to March; it is now the time to go back to work, to restore the harmony of life, and to protect our wealth.  Now we feel safe!