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Optometry must join move to EMRs by health care providers
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![Michael D. DePaolis, OD, FAAO [photo]](/~/media/shared-images/michael-d-depaolis-od-faao.jpg)
As our 11-year-old son was preparing for a new school year recently, I glanced over his list of required supplies. Amongst the traditional requisites – pens, pencils and notebooks – one particular item caught my attention. A thumb drive. It was one of those sobering reminders of just how much things have changed.
Granted, we all know that kids today grasp technology quickly, as evidenced by their proficiency with computers, video games, Ipods and cell phones. However, thumb drives in the sixth grade? When I asked my son, his answer was a simple, “Sure, Dad, it makes sense.”
Technology is everywhere
In retrospect, I really should not have been so surprised. Today, technology permeates every aspect of our very existence. And, as is often the perception, newer technologies equate with a better, more enjoyable existence. Well, if it’s commonly believed that technology drives quality of life, just what does this say about our practices?
For sure, technologic advances have touched optometric practices in many ways. Office information systems organize patient demographic data, allow for more efficient patient processing and electronically communicate with third-party payers. On the clinical side, autorefractors, topographers, visual field instruments and digital imaging systems provide us the means by which to better care for our patients. Collectively, we pride ourselves on incorporating these technologies. As a result, patients frequently compliment us on state-of-the-art facilities.
If technological advances are such an essential part of our patients’ lives, and if they resonate so well with optometrists, why, then, do we still maintain paper medical records? It is certainly not because handwritten medical charts are the best option. Quite the contrary, as they are often illegible, incomplete and prone to recording errors. In fact, in our office, we now rely on scribing technicians. While this strategy has improved the quality of our medical records, it’s anything but state-of-the-art. My guess is that, in the minds of our patients, it’s pretty archaic.
EMRs mandated
Given these reasons, it’s logical that the health care industry is moving toward electronic medical records (EMRs). Not only are EMRs legible, they are often more thorough, orderly and less prone to errors — all of which benefit patient care. In fact, so compelling are these benefits that we are witnessing a mandate in which all health care providers convert to EMRs within the next decade.
While this trend may seem a ways off, nothing could be further from the truth. Microsoft recently acquired an EMR system, which was developed by physicians and is being used to integrate chart notes and special test results in a hospital system in Washington. The Institute of Medicine of the National Academies has issued a position paper encouraging e-prescribing by the year 2010 in an effort to reduce prescription transcription errors. Many state Regional Health Information Organizations are already in existence, laying the foundation for the government’s National Health Information Network.
As a profession, optometry can ill afford to be out of this loop. It’s imperative for us to develop systems that not only provide better eye care, but also allow us to effectively communicate with other health care providers. Perhaps, most importantly, it’s essential that we do this because it’s what our patients expect.