How to Win Over An Anti-EMR Doctor

[Health IT Social]

Electronic records and deficiencies-who would have thought it many years ago! Have you ever heard the term can’t teach an old dog new tricks? Well, I am sure we all have a few doctors that we love, but have been a doctor for so long that they will not come off of their old ways. Trying to get them to sign a record on the computer is like pulling teeth. We even have some that we literally have to print the order out, fax to them to sign, they fax it back, and we scan it back into the system.

I grew up with computers so I don’t know any different and I am fascinated with all the new gadgets as we grow in the technology world. Most of our younger and newer doctors love being able to complete their deficiencies on the computer from anywhere they want. They can complete their deficiencies from their office, homes, on iphones, and ipads. So how do you get those other doctors to get tech savvy? Well that will probably never happen, but you can slowly ease some of them into it.

I will tell you a story of one of my favorite doctors. He is getting ready to retire here in about a month, but when we went electronic he would come see me and I would have to walk him through each and every step each time he came to the office. At first he would look at the records and give me the okay and I would do all the computer stuff. After a while he got a little more comfortable doing it and began doing it himself with me right by his side of course. Over the course of several years he has learned how to do them on his on and now he does them from his office.

So when trying to teach an anti EMR doctor to go from the paper world to the technological world don’t force them to do something when they have been doing it their way for many years. Be very patient and take baby steps because they will warm up to the idea eventually and some may even surprise you and be able to do it all on their own.

Brandi Boren has worked for Jennie Stuart Medical Center in Medical Records for seven years and has four years experience with McKesson including Horizon Patient Folder, Paragon Medical Records, and Webstation for Physicians.