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
    Health
    Healthcare organizations are operating on slimmer profit margins than ever. One report in August showed that they are even lower than the beginning of the…
    Show More
    Top News
    UV damage to eyes
    Warning Signs of Long-Term UV Damage to Your Eyes
    December 9, 2021
    degree for healthcare job
    The Ultimate Healthcare Recruiting and Staffing Guidebook
    March 21, 2022
    medicare part d benefits
    Everything that You Need to Know About Medicare Part D
    August 15, 2022
    Latest News
    Beyond Nutrition: Everyday Foods That Support Whole-Body Health
    June 15, 2025
    The Wide-Ranging Benefits of Magnesium Supplements
    June 11, 2025
    The Best Home Remedies for Migraines
    June 5, 2025
    The Hidden Impact Of Stress On Your Body’s Alignment And Balance
    May 22, 2025
  • Policy and Law
    • Global Healthcare
    • Medical Ethics
    Policy and Law
    Get the latest updates about Insurance policies and Laws in the Healthcare industry for different geographical locations.
    Show More
    Top News
    nursing program
    7 Tips to Picking the Best Nursing Program
    February 5, 2018
    Health Care: A Modern-Day Blade Runner?
    December 10, 2014
    Occupational Therapy Assistant | Medical Assistant | Home Health Aide
    In-Demand Healthcare Support Jobs
    April 16, 2016
    Latest News
    Top HIPAA-Compliant Messaging Apps for Healthcare Teams
    June 25, 2025
    When Healthcare Ends, the Legal Process Begins: What Families Should Know About Probate and Medical Estates
    June 20, 2025
    Preventing Contamination In Healthcare Facilities Starts With Hygiene
    June 15, 2025
    Strengthening Healthcare Systems Through Clinical and Administrative Career Development
    June 13, 2025
  • Medical Innovations
  • News
  • Wellness
  • Tech
Search
© 2023 HealthWorks Collective. All Rights Reserved.
Reading: Failing Grade for Health IT in Medical School?
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 > Policy & Law > Medical Education > Failing Grade for Health IT in Medical School?
Medical Education

Failing Grade for Health IT in Medical School?

Bill Crounse
Last updated: October 21, 2013 8:00 am
Bill Crounse
Share
5 Min Read
Image
SHARE

ImageWhen I was in medical school, and even throughout my residency program, medical records were totally on paper. Patient charts lived in three-ring binders that whirled about on large carousels in the nursing station. Some of those charts were literally overflowing with sheets of paper and sticky notes. Order sets were all on paper.

ImageWhen I was in medical school, and even throughout my residency program, medical records were totally on paper. Patient charts lived in three-ring binders that whirled about on large carousels in the nursing station. Some of those charts were literally overflowing with sheets of paper and sticky notes. Order sets were all on paper. Physician and nursing notes were hand written. About the only section of the chart that was actually printed on a machine came from the lab. That’s what we had in those days. That is how I was trained, and somehow it all worked.  I ordered tests, wrote up histories and physicals, and scribbled progress notes with my terrible hand writing for each of my patients during daily rounds. As a physician in training my orders and notes had to be co-signed by my instructors or the patient’s attending physician, but everything I did and everything I wrote became part of the “official” patient record.

Healthcare IT NewsSo imagine my horror when I read the other day an excellent article, Are med schools failing future docs?, written by Mike Miliard in Healthcare IT News. According to the article, just 64 percent of med schools currently allow physicians in training to use electronic medical records. And of those that do, only two-thirds are allowing students to actually write notes in the electronic record. While that statistic is based on a two year old study from the Alliance for Clinical Education, I still find it alarming.

Today’s medical students and residents are digital natives. Few aspects of their lives can be conducted without a smartphone or tablet within  reach. Yet, we are teaching them to become physicians using paper and pen! How can that be? I guess I’m not totally surprised. As the article points out, most med school structure and curriculum is based on work originally developed by Abraham Flexner in 1910. It’s a model that medical schools have been following ever since.

More Read

healthy nursing school habits
Healthy Habits for Nursing Student Nursing School Students
The Future of Medical Education: Very Real Simulation of Procedures and Teamwork
Scholarships for IT, Computer Science and Health IT Students
How Much is in the Genes?
The Doctor Becomes The Patient: Lessons Learned From Wearing A Gown

I don’t spend much time in medical schools now. The last time I visited my own school was probably 5 years ago. At the time, I remember thinking that things hadn’t changed all that much since I was in training. Yes, I saw computers being used in the lecture halls and some students were carrying around laptops, but I suspect it was business as usual in many of the community clinics and hospitals where the students were doing their clinical rotations.

imageMy point isn’t to throw stones at medical education. I understand why, especially in the academic environment, that change is often ploddingly slow. Mr. Miliard’s article does report on some of the remedies being applied by the AMA and other organizations to fix medical education, and address the gaps in the use of IT. But I have to wonder if we are preparing new doctors for the realities of the world in which they will soon be practicing? Are we taking people who are perhaps the most computer literate among us, and forcing them to use tools that are no longer relevant in either education or medicine?

Read Mr. Miliard’s article and weep. Imagine how frustrating it must be for today’s clinicians in training to be told more or less, “You can look at the computer but don’t touch it.” Maybe we’re afraid this new generation of docs and nurses might actually be able to teach us something, instead of the other way around. Medical education is due for a shake-up. Turning out clones of “clinicians of yesteryear” simply must come to an end. Otherwise I fear only the uninspired will seek out careers in medicine. I mean, come on….. even the doctors and nurses on television’s Grey’s Anatomy are using Surface tablets these days.


TAGGED:EMRs
Share This Article
Facebook Copy Link Print
Share

Stay Connected

1.5kFollowersLike
4.5kFollowersFollow
2.8kFollowersPin
136kSubscribersSubscribe

Latest News

women dental care
What Is a Smile Makeover and How Much Does It Cost?
Dental health
June 30, 2025
HIPAA-Compliant Messaging Apps
Top HIPAA-Compliant Messaging Apps for Healthcare Teams
Global Healthcare Policy & Law Technology
June 25, 2025
recovering from injury
Rebuilding After Injury: Path to Physical and Emotional Recovery
News
June 22, 2025
scientist using microscope
When Healthcare Ends, the Legal Process Begins: What Families Should Know About Probate and Medical Estates
Global Healthcare
June 18, 2025

You Might also Like

Medical Residents Get Their Own Social Network

December 19, 2012

Wash Your Hands? The Video is Watching

November 30, 2011

HIPAA Basics For Licensed Health Care Professionals: Privacy, Security, and Breach Notification Rules

November 16, 2015
Artificial IntelligenceGlobal HealthcareHealth careMedical EducationMedical RecordsTechnology

How AI In Healthcare Can Improve Patient Outcomes

October 15, 2018
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?