ABSTRACT

For 20 years, informaticists have been trying to get physicians to use EMRs-first to look up labs and diagnostic imaging reports on the computer, then to enter orders on the computer, and then to document their visits on the computer. There were pros and cons to each of these steps. We argued that the computer made it easier to look up patient results than the old paper system. Computerized provider order entry was a harder sell. Doing postop orders from any PC in the hospital or from home was perhaps faster than on paper, but doing a la carte admitting orders for a patient with multiple problems could take 30 min or longer. Physician documentation was also a mixed bag; some surgeons liked the preformatted operative note where they could quickly fill in the important details. For physicians who couldn’t type, doing even short visit notes was painful.