My own doctor threw in the towel and retired. (More than 20 years earlier than his father retired.) So not all.
My overall impression is that the mandated Obama electronic records might be great at conveying billing information to the accounting department. They might be good for demonstrating "proof" for the malpractice attorneys that something was done that isn't likely to have been done. But they are a 50 year step backwards as far as conveying to the people taking care of the patient the information about what is actually going on with the patient.
Speaking as a physician, let me say I will be the last doctor in America dictating my notes, placing them in a PAPER chart for a number of reasons, not the least of which is patient confidentiality. Once your records are digital, they are more suseptible to being subject to exposure. In addition, when I see patients who see a lot of practices that are computerized I get a 5 page print out of data even if they were just there for a bunion! All this so they can “document” everything in order to up-code for billing purposes, all the while knowing they never even asked the patient those questions, just repopulated that data from a prior visit or a standard set of data points.
We are not “mandated” to have computer records, YET.... they just reimbuse those of us non-compliant folks at a reduced rate. I find using computer records slows down production and takes away from the patient interaction as it makes data collection the main focus of the visit, not talking to and examining the patient. How many of you go to the doctor, have them punch into a keyboard instead of actually looking at you? That is if you can actually see a physician instead of a second-tier “provider” with less eduaction and training... sorry, didn ‘t mean to get off topic - but that is another slide down the very slippery slope of declining medical care in America.
Agree 100%.
There is no doubt the rules were written by and for the convenience of the government. administrators, pencil pushers and lawyers.
They are an imposition into the Dr.-Patient relationship.
And in our experience they detract rather than add to the quality of care given and received.
Not to mention the cost of computerizing offices and records.