As the use of computers continues to increase in society, it's clear that healthcare technology, such as EHRs, and the risks associated with them will keep growing, too, according to Chris Tonozzi, MD, data quality director at Mountain Family Health Centers in Glenwood Springs, Colo.
Dr. Tonozzi, who shared his viewpoint in Post Independent, wrote that two significant concerns have risen from the 2009 HITECH Act, which incentivized adoption of EHRs: physicians are required to do "significantly" more work for EHR clinical notes and the technology has created safety errors.
With the addition of EHRs, clinicians are now relied on as data entry technicians, which limits their time for face-to-face patient interactions and can contribute to increased rates of burnout, Dr. Tonozzi wrote. Additionally, there have been software errors associated with EHRs that can go unaddressed for extended periods at a time, he added.
Because of the concerns, Dr. Tonozzi said he "…consider[s] EHR[s] to be a 'necessary evil' but [he's] also optimistic that we — and other medical providers — can manage the risks; we also believe EHRs will evolve over time to be safer and more efficient."
Some ways to make the most of the EHR include using its data to develop quality improvement goals for the organization as well as implementing coaching for clinical staff on the connection between their EHR data and quality outcomes goals, Dr. Tonozzi wrote.