Breaking the silence on the harmful effects of the EMR

The author reflects on their experience as a physician using the EMR system and how it has become a failure, with incorrect information, poor communication, and even harmful assumptions about patients written in the notes, leading to anger and frustration, but making them an even better advocate for their patients. Long before the EMR was a thing, 30 years ago, I graduated as a doctor. However, this occurred long before Dr. Google entered the picture. a period when all medical records were kept on paper. When I had to see a patient without their paper chart because it was still in another doctor's office, I recall being annoyed. When all I had in my hands was volume 1, not volume 5, I complained about not being able to locate a specific piece of information, such as a test result or consultation note. I can also remember a time before dictation was the norm for taking notes. Too often, before entering my exam room to discuss critical information with a patient, I was scrambling to understand someone else's handwriting.