Electronic health records a valuable tool

Regarding the Aug. 16 guest column by Dr. Brian Meeker (“Technology distracting doctors”), there are some disturbing misconceptions regarding the electronic medical record system. Specifically, the physician who spends 13 minutes out of a 15-minute exam doing nothing but entering data from a pre-visit questionnaire and not focusing on the patient's care.

I am trained in health information management and it does not have to be that way. Physicians still dictate and medical transcribers are still needed. The art of the physician-patient exam is not taken away by the electronic health record.

The electronic health record is a valuable tool to improve patient care. It is true that it is going through growing pains and there is resistance, primarily from an older generation of physicians.

The concept and ultimate goal is to always have immediate access to the patient's complete health record for only those who have a need for it, regardless of where and when a patient presents for care. A great feature should the physician make questionable calls are red flags to indicate, “is this really what you want to do?”

David Duffy

Iowa City