Steven P. Rosenberg, MD, of Palm Beach Dermatology, wants the Florida Board of Medicine to issue a statewide warning for EMRs. Why?
Rosenberg says all the bells and whistles of an EMR don't translate into quality care. An EMR can generate all these reports, but does it truly help physicians help their patients?
Another problem he has with EMRs is the default mechanism, which can lead to incorrect records, which, for example, can lead to incorrect diagnoses and treatments. This is a serious issue and one that should be highlighted. When a field reverts to a default setting when it should not, the only one who could catch that error is the physician. But EMRs aren't supposed to create more work for physicians.
This is obviously a design flaw. How many EMRs have the default mechanism that he talks about? Where are the physician advisors on the EMR development teams?
Until EMRs are accurate and reliable, Rosenberg believes they should carry a statewide warning. What's your take on Rosenberg's stand?
Photo by RodneyRamsey obtained via Common Courtesy license.
