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
    The Art of Microdosing: A Beginner’s Journey into Psilocybin
    March 18, 2024
    healthcare access recover injury
    Healthcare Disparities Make it Harder to Recover from Injuries
    June 6, 2024
    foot health
    What Foot Health Reveals About Your Overall Wellness
    August 15, 2024
    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
    Build It Bigger? Maybe Not: Addressing Obesity in the US today
    September 22, 2012
    State Health & Wealth Benefits Administration: Simple Coordination…Millions in Savings
    December 28, 2011
    Everything We Know in Health is Wrong. Medicine is a Science, Not Dogma. #askforevidence
    November 29, 2012
    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: How to Communicate Well With a Patient While Working on an EHR in Real Life
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 > How to Communicate Well With a Patient While Working on an EHR in Real Life
eHealthMedical Records

How to Communicate Well With a Patient While Working on an EHR in Real Life

Gary Levin MD
Last updated: July 26, 2012 7:43 am
Gary Levin MD
Share
6 Min Read
SHARE


When physicians who are used to carrying paper charts start using tablets or desktop computers in the exam room, it’s going to be disruptive, said Larry Garber, MD, an internist and medical director of informatics at the Reliant Medical Group in Worcester, Mass. How a physician manages this disruption “can absolutely make or break the relationship between doctor and patient,” he said.


When physicians who are used to carrying paper charts start using tablets or desktop computers in the exam room, it’s going to be disruptive, said Larry Garber, MD, an internist and medical director of informatics at the Reliant Medical Group in Worcester, Mass. How a physician manages this disruption “can absolutely make or break the relationship between doctor and patient,” he said.

About five years ago I observed that most EMRs are not ethnologically designed resulting in  a less than optimal machine-human interface.  About three years ago tablet PCs came into being, and HER vendors ported their EMR to that interface and/or smartphones. While this improved the situation somewhat, some patient-physician interactions  remain.

Several medical schools have realized the impact bad communication can have on patient satisfaction and outcomes. They have built communication skill-building into their curricula to help prevent this unintended consequence from technology use. But even absent formal training, it’s not too late for practicing physicians to acquire these skills with a few small steps:”

More Read

Empowering Patients with Transactional Tools
Google Glass in Surgery: Hangout on Air
When Buying an EHR, Don’t Get Sucker-Punched by Delusional Thinking
Can YOU Innovate Healthcare? Critical Info For Startups
The Future of Medicine: Incredible Innovations to Expect by 2064

There are many outstanding clinicians who falter when adapting to an EMR, some of which has to do with a new work stream, resulting in frustration and anger.

DOWNLOAD SURVEY

By preparing oneself going into an EMR and dealing with the most important issue..the patient-physician relationship– stress can be reduced.  Learning how to use the EMR is only a portion of adopting HIT.

Exam room setup.

“Some practices have implemented a basic triangle design that puts the physician, patient and computer screen at each of the three corners, allowing the doctor to look at both patient and computer screen without shifting his or her body. It can make patients feel they are being looked at even when the physician is looking at the computer screen, Dr. Garber said.

Work-flow design.

image

“The computer terminal should never be the first place the physician goes when entering the room. The doctor should go to the patient first, greet him or her and establish an agenda for the visit. After that is done, the doctor should have some kind of transitional line explaining what he or she is about to do in the EHR, such as, “OK, let me jot down a few notes.”

Employ the LEVEL system

LEVELstands for:

L:Let the patient look on. This goes back to the triangle setup that allows the physician to easily share things on the computer screen with patients.

E:Eye contact. Dr. Garber said there is no hard and fast rule of how eye contact should be measured, but he treats every patient encounter as he would a conversation with a friend or family member.

V:Value the computer. If the physician praises the benefits of the computer, the patient will appreciate its presence. Saying things such as, “With my EHR, I can look that up” or “I can send your prescription straight to the pharmacy,” will help patients think their care is more advanced because of the computer, Dr. Garber said. Sharing visuals on the screen, such as a chart mapping historical cholesterol levels, also will help patients appreciate the computer.

Physicians who struggle with their EHR sometimes vent their frustrations to patients. “That frames the computer in a negative way to the patient,” Dr. Stream said. “Positive framing is really important. Physicians have got to set it up that the computer and EHR [are] there for the patient’s benefit and not describe it as a nuisance or an irritation.”

E:Explain what you’re doing.  It’s important for doctors to be transparent about everything they do. Talking through each step — “I’m sending your prescription now” or “I’m looking up those test results” — will make patients more comfortable. It also will help alleviate the perception that the doctor is doing something else, like checking emails or sports scores.

L: Log off. A big fear patients have about technology is the security of their data. Logging off while they are still in the exam room makes them confident the next patient won’t walk in with their information still on the screen, Dr. Garber said.

EMRs are here to stay, be proactive in using it. One idea is to have a survey regarding the patient’s experience with your office and the EMR, in order to judge your effectiveness in communicating to your patient while you work. Admittedly, multi-tasking can be a challenge.

A suggested survey is available and can be downloaded here  

DOWNLOAD

YouTube Demonstration:

 

 

TAGGED:doctor/patient relationshipEHRs
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

Electronic Medical Records Now Offering HIPAA-Compliant Social Media-Style Messaging

April 25, 2012
ZDoggMD
Hospital AdministrationPublic HealthSocial Media

Truth From Comedy: ZDogg Does for Medicine What Late Night Is Doing for Politics

October 12, 2017
top social media hospitals
eHealthHospital AdministrationSocial Media

Your Hospital Social Media Benchmark: How Do You Rank?

November 21, 2014
medicare
eHealthHealth ReformMedical RecordsPolicy & LawPublic Health

Medicare’s “Blue Button” Can Help You Track Care

May 18, 2013
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?