UNC Specialist Tells the Unvarnished Truth about Electronic Health Records

In this month's issue of the Journal of American Physicians and Surgeons, Hermann Borg, a neuro-endocrinologist affiliated with the UNC School of Medicine has an outstanding, well-researched article on the topic of electronic health records. Check it out here to learn the ugly truth about this menace which has been forced upon patients and physicians.

Comments

[Fred Gregory]

Long read but Dr. Borg's conclusion makes sense.

"Well-designed research studies refute the enthusiastic expectations about EHR. Such studies provide very valuable evidence in discussion of its future directions. However, the research studies per se will not rectify the accelerating EHR debacle. Powerful EHR proponents will not be persuaded by scientific data. They have an agenda, and the EHR serves it well. Physicians can spend decades performing more intricate studies of the obvious shortcomings of the EHR. In the meantime, government and corporations will continue as the only parties to reap any benefits from the EHR while experiencing no negative consequences. The public, i.e. voters and captive members of corporate pre-paid medical plans, should be a primary target of persuasion about the drawbacks of the EHR. Many patients are unaware that use of the substandard EHR is imposed on physicians. There is need for a comprehensive public education campaign about the oppressive EHR. Such education should start in physicians’ offices and spread by social and mainstream media. Public pressure may persuade government and corporate executives to listen to physicians’ concerns about the serious deficiencies of the EHR."

I have found that patient portals are an annoyance. For example I get an email advising to sign in to one of our many portals. So I login ( a pain ) and find an notice from the physicians office of an upcoming appointment. And then I will receive a voice mail about the same appointment for which I have already received a reminder card at the time of the last visit.

Test results on patient portals are worthless. My wife recently had a heart echogram . The results were totally Greek to me.

[Triad Conservative]

But Fred, we are all part of a Brave New World. Ought we not be appreciative? :)