How do you feel about Electronic Health Records??

Nurses General Nursing

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Specializes in pediatrics, school nursing.

Hi all! I am writing a brief paper on EHRs and wondering how you all feel about your workplace's EHR system. How easy is it to use? What is the system like? In your opinion, does it help or hinder your patient contact time? Does it increase or decrease productivity? What do you and what don't you like about it? Thanks!!

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Specializes in NICU, PICU, PACU.

Have a love-hate relationship, if that makes sense lol I like that it is all right there, no paper to be lost. We use EPIC, which after a year of tweaking is okay...it has it glitches that we can't seem to fix, esp. in the neonatal world and the MAR world, but we have learned to adapt. I like that when we pull in our careplans it activates the education aspect on our teaching page. I hate that I feel that I have my back to my patients families when I am charting, which I do, but there is nothing to be done about that. I absolutely HATE the printed version of the chart, this is where paper charting wins. It is not in a timeline manner, it is not in sections by dates. It is horrific to try to find all your documentation in...I just when thru this in legal. It was pretty bad.

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Specializes in MICU - CCRN, IR, Vascular Surgery.

Our system has its ups and downs, but since it's all I've ever used, I guess I'm okay with it! We use McKessen. I don't like that we still have to do care plans and fall risks on paper, but no one knows when they'll be moved to the computer. There's a fair bit of duplication between different sections of the electronic chart. But what I LOVE is the copy forward. I can chart my 20:00 assessment, and then after my 00:00 assessment, I can copy my previous assessment and then just make changes as needed. It's definitely a time saver, as long as you make sure to be careful with your editing.

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I can understand the value of electronic documentation, it is much safer.

I have worked with 4 different EMR's and I strongly feel I am looking at the computer screen much longer than my peeps!

If the documentation could be streamlined it would be a win-win situation.

However.. the powers that be seem to think it is necessary to chart a boat load on the damn things.

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Specializes in Pedi.

As with everything, it has its pros and cons. But it is definitely time-consuming and takes time away from the bedside.

Our system is not user-friendly and every day it seems like they're changing something to make it "better" but all it really does is make it more complicated. They just did this with our discharge process. No one likes it but they never ask our opinions before they make said changes and if we express them after, we get told that we're wrong, it's better, we just need to stop complaining.

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Love it would NEVER want to work somewhere that did not have it,,,,,, I mean no hunting charts, you can log on from any computer in the facility, and even be in the chart while other people are also. No more waiting for a doctor, or secertary, rad tec, or anyone else to get done with the chart so you can document. Love it.

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Specializes in FNP, ONP.

As a primary care provider, I like them from a documentation POV. My office is almost entirely paperless. We use Allscripts IV, and once you get through the learning curve, it is comprehensive and easy enough to navigate. My documentation is faster and more thorough than when I was writing SOAP notes. I get all my calls via the computer tasks, and I can respond by computer as well without taking the time to return calls unless it is necessary. I see labs and diagnostic results immediately and they are linked right to the chart electronically, so I don't have to search for anything. I have a phone number at my fingertips if I need to call a patient, pre-auths, referrals and prescriptions are just a click. Follow ups don't get lost, labs don't get over looked. All necessary forms are there as well, and I far spend less time chasing minutia in any given day. I know billing loves it b/c the coding is better, since Allscripts is precise enough not to allow coding that is grossly inappropriate, lol. Fewer coding errors mean collection expenses go down and revenue goes up. I did notice the difference on my last bonus statement, and I appreciate that aspect! ;)

What I don't like is that it is clear to me that patients don't like it, lol. I have to chart while I'm in the room and there is no way I can do it without looking at the computer, which is off putting to patients. I do make a point to make plenty of eye contact, demonstrate active listening and interact, and of course provide lots of hands on, but I am still aware that they are unhappy about it. There is simply no way I can see pts q15 minutes and do all my documentation at the end of the day. #1, I'd never remember details and I'd mix people up, and #2, I'd never get out on time. I have a colleague that cannot bring herself to chart in front of a patient, so she takes notes and then charts in the EMR at home every night. She sees pts from 8 to 4, and then charts until midnight or 2am. I am not willing to do that. If patients chooses her over me b/c I use the tablet in the exam room and she does not, so be it, but I do not bring work home. Period. I give my all to my patients during the work day, but after hours belongs to me and my family, and I am not going to neglect our needs just because my patients don't like my typing on the tablet during their exam. My colleague's patients are devoted to her, but her husband just left her and took their son with him. Probably not all due to EMR, lol, but her inability to separate work and home was a big part of it.

We all have to learn to make EMRs work for us, b/c they aren't going away.

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