Reflections on electronic medical records: when doctors will use them and when they will not.

TitleReflections on electronic medical records: when doctors will use them and when they will not.
Publication TypeJournal Article
Year of Publication2010
AuthorsBleich HL, Slack WV
JournalInt J Med Inform
Volume79
Issue1
Pagination1-4
Date Published2010 Jan
ISSN1872-8243
KeywordsAcademic Medical Centers, Attitude of Health Personnel, Attitude to Computers, Boston, Electronic Health Records, Hospital Records, Humans, Physicians, Practice Patterns, Physicians', Quality of Health Care, User-Computer Interface
Abstract

PURPOSE: Our purpose is to counter the common wisdom that doctors are refractory to change and therefore responsible for the limited use of electronic medical records.METHODS: We draw on experience with electronic medical records in two Harvard Medical School teaching hospitals dating back to the early 1980s.RESULTS: Doctors quickly become ardent users of electronic medical records if the software is sufficiently helpful in the care of their patients.CONCLUSIONS: The key to enthusiastic acceptance of electronic medical records is computing that is easy to use and helpful to doctors, nurses, and other clinicians in the care of their patients.

DOI10.1016/j.ijmedinf.2009.10.002
Alternate JournalInt J Med Inform
PubMed ID19939731
Grant ListR01 LM008255-01A1 / LM / NLM NIH HHS / United States