Print This Article

Ask the Doctor: July 2009

Question: My doctor’s office says they will be using a computer chart soon.  What does this mean?  Will my doctor be spending all his time looking at the computer instead of talking to me?

Answer: The government has mandated that all physicians use an electronic medical record by 2016.  There are a number of reasons why this is a good idea.

The hope is that one-day all the electronic medical records will be able to “talk” to each other.  This would mean that if you had a heart attack while on vacation in Florida, all the doctors in the ER in Florida would be able to see your old EKGs, know what medical problems you have and what medications you were taking.

The first step to achieving this is to get all physicians on electronic records.  The reality is that the ability of the electronic records to talk to each other is quite a few years away, but this is one of the goals of the systems.

For your everyday visits to your doctor it will mean that the doctor will most likely be documenting the visit while in the exam room with you.  The good thing about that is the doctor will not have to remember everything you said at the end of the day but can make sure he gets it into the chart right as you discuss it in the exam room.

It will also mean that every doctor in the practice will have the same information in case your doctor is not there.  In addition, you would be able to see your labs charted out if you wanted.  The doctor should not use the computer as a barrier between the two of you, but should use it as he does the paper chart: to help document your concerns and help you to understand how your medications are helping by being able to see your lab results.

We also hope that you will be able to have your lab results emailed to you and perhaps be able to email requests for medication refills back to your doctor. Bear with your doctor during the transition, however.  Going from paper to electronic charting is difficult and he may be running a little more behind schedule than usual.

Dr. Karen D. Lockwood is board-certified in Internal Medicine and is currently in private practice in Troy, MI.

If you would like to submit a medical question to Dr. Lockwood, please email your question to: askthedoc@healthandleisureonline.com

*Advice found within this article is for informational purposes only and should not replace the advice or recommendations of your physician.