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Why Physicians Hesitate to Use EMRs
Hayward Zwerling, MD, FACP
April 2003
New Technology
About 5% of physicians are using an EMR (electronic medical record). Many observers consider this number to be startlingly small compared with the rate of adoption of smart technologies in other industries that have used electronic systems to achieve significant increases in productivity. High cost, a reduction in productivity, and concerns about moving from paper to electronic records are among the many reasons physicians give for their hesitation to make the transition to EMRs.
Other common reasons that physicians do not implement EMRs in their practices include a feeling of discomfort about having to depend on an EMR vendor for access to patients’ medical records; a reluctance to take the time to learn about the different EMRs that are available, as well as the difficulty of finding time in a busy practice to learn how to use an EMR; a fear of having to type office notes rather than dictate or write them out in long hand; and a concern about being unable to move patient data from paper charts to an EMR.
These concerns are valid, so physicians should carefully consider the hurdles that may make adopting an EMR a significant challenge. Even so, the 5% of physicians who are using EMRs have found that this new technology has made it easier for them to do their job, despite the initial hurdles. After they did the work required to find and buy the right EMR for their practice, got it installed and running, and went through the transition period when productivity decreases, they saw an increase in productivity and ease of use that is not possible without an EMR.
Lessons Learned
In my practice, we have been using the ComChart EMR since 1992, and the lessons we have learned are useful for other physicians.
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