“Electronic medical records (EMRs) offer key benefits: improved legibility, electronic linking with other healthcare professionals, cross-referencing medications for formularies and checking for drug interactions, easier storage, and quality-of-care indicator monitoring.
I fear, however, that if we don’t look at the negative side of EMRs during all the hoopla, we might lose something very critical. In my field of internal medicine, patients often have multiple medical problems, multiple medications, and vague, but potentially serious, symptoms. A narrative, detailed patient history and careful physical examination lay the cornerstone for a thoughtful impression and formulation of a differential diagnosis and plan. Nuances of description discriminate among diagnoses and the urgency needed for the workup.”
Article
Howard Homler, Modern Medicine, 19 March 2010
