By using this site, you agree to the Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.
Accept
Health Works CollectiveHealth Works CollectiveHealth Works Collective
  • Health
    • Mental Health
  • Policy and Law
    • Global Healthcare
    • Medical Ethics
  • Medical Innovations
  • News
  • Wellness
  • Tech
Search
© 2023 HealthWorks Collective. All Rights Reserved.
Reading: An Electronic Health Record misAdventure
Share
Notification Show More
Font ResizerAa
Health Works CollectiveHealth Works Collective
Font ResizerAa
Search
Follow US
  • About
  • Contact
  • Privacy
© 2023 HealthWorks Collective. All Rights Reserved.
Health Works Collective > eHealth > Medical Records > An Electronic Health Record misAdventure
Medical Records

An Electronic Health Record misAdventure

docnieder
docnieder
Share
4 Min Read
SHARE

We thought we were ready. We had all our training. The staff was pumped. The doctors were apprehensive but willing. Tuesday morning “GO LIVE” began. Fortunately the hardware folks just happened to be in the office installing our dual monitors, so there were two techs present when none of our medical assistants (MAs) could access their tablets. Uh oh…

We thought we were ready. We had all our training. The staff was pumped. The doctors were apprehensive but willing. Tuesday morning “GO LIVE” began. Fortunately the hardware folks just happened to be in the office installing our dual monitors, so there were two techs present when none of our medical assistants (MAs) could access their tablets. Uh oh…

Shortly into the day our office manager discovered that the stand-alone electronic prescribing software we’d been using for years had been turned off since Friday and prescriptions sent electronically since then had never made it to their destinations. Patients were calling. They weren’t happy. And we had no way of knowing who they were because our workflow is to fill the prescriptions, document in the chart and file. Uh oh…

Meanwhile, my MA was still unable to use her laptop to triage my first patient. I was waiting…Dr. K had seen a patient, documented most of her note but she could not put in the plan for some reason. This was a problem that went on all day until it was determined that her ‘profile’ was corrupted. IT promised a fix by the next day. Uh oh…

More Read

SkinPut – A Touchscreen on Your Skin
The PCMH and Home Care Data: An Interview with Melissa McCormack
Handling HIPAA Rules In Sports: Why Athlete Privacy Matters
The PCMH and Home Care Data: An Interview with Melissa McCormack
Preparing for EHR Implementation: the AHRQ Health IT Toolkit

Remember being told to “save, save, save”? Dr. I, not big on computers to start with, was humming along only to find out that one of her electronic notes, on a complicated patient, had vanished into the ether due to a Citrix glitch, never to be found again. She was nearly in tears. Uh oh…

Finally, my MA had a patient ready for me to see. Only an hour behind. It was a young man, a new patient in for what the scheduling staff was told was an uncomplicated physical. I remember being told that this patient was perfect for the first day on EHR “He’s young and healthy, a great start to using the Health Maintenance Template”. Except that he was drinking a pint of bourbon daily with a blood pressure through the roof, a urination issue, chest pain and was anxiously depressed. Uh oh…

It is very difficult to have one’s attention divided by electronics when it needs to be concentrating on a real person’s medical issues. If I had to grade myself with how well that first patient was treated by me, it would be close to failing. It felt like a return to medical school–working blind, feeling incompetent, trying to speak two different languages at once (electronic and paper) and never quite sure anything was being done well.

Rumor has it our skills will improve over the next year. My hope, as one of the first primary care offices to go live in our organization, the technical support staff and the doctors can help other offices begin this journey with a refined send off.

This is a hospital “go live” but still hilariously hit close to home:

Share This Article
Facebook Copy Link Print
Share

Stay Connected

1.5kFollowersLike
4.5kFollowersFollow
2.8kFollowersPin
136kSubscribersSubscribe

Latest News

contamination
Batch Failures And The Hidden Costs Of Contamination
Health Infographics
October 21, 2025
Medication Management For Seniors
Simplifying Medication Management For Seniors
Infographics Senior Care
October 21, 2025
Guide To Pursuing a Career in Nursing as a Foreigner in the USA
Collaboration Is the Prescription for Better Patient Care
Health
October 20, 2025
Epidemiological Health Benefits
Personal and Epidemiological Health Benefits of Blood Pressure Management
Health
October 13, 2025

You Might also Like

Update on Health Information Exchange

February 8, 2012

Patient Engagement: Overused Sound Bite or Transformative Opportunity?

April 6, 2015
Global HealthcareHealth careMedical Records

Dissatisfaction with Billing Companies Starts with Lack of Clarity of What is Expected

May 9, 2018

Wanted: Electronic Health Records

August 23, 2012
Subscribe
Subscribe to our newsletter to get our newest articles instantly!
Follow US
© 2008-2025 HealthWorks Collective. All Rights Reserved.
  • About
  • Contact
  • Privacy
Welcome Back!

Sign in to your account

Username or Email Address
Password

Lost your password?