Can Simple Tips Save Time and Effort in EHR?
I received a call from a friend who is an endocrinologist and trusts my informatics and computer skills. She was using her laptop screen, which is smaller than a regular monitor, and had her screen zoom at 75% to navigate all the EHR capabilities. She contacted the Helpdesk, but they were unable to solve her problem as they did not have wider laptop screens. During our video call, I showed her a simple trick: instead of using the plus and minus buttons, which go in 25% increments, she could type the zoom percentage, which is a basic functionality. She kept increasing the number to 96% and was delighted with the result. Her problem was solved.
The expertise of a practicing clinician is significantly different from that of computer experts, although their input is valuable. The EHR systems have become much more complex over the past decade since the implementation of the HITECH Act, which includes bonuses and penalties. They are no longer basic interfaces with patient information, notes, labs, and medications. They now have numerous tabs and massive databases that capture patient and user details. Every option has its advantages and disadvantages. These large systems have impressive capabilities across many tasks, from outpatient and inpatient to pharmacy, labs, radiology PACS, cardiology PACS, and pathology. They also have great potential for analytics, both for research and operational purposes. However, they can be complicated, and the average user may only know a small portion of their relevant system’s capabilities.
Here’s a more specific example of a user working with only a small portion of a broadly capable system. Consider the drive from your new house to work. There is a direct route that takes only 10 minutes. When you initially opened your Maps application, it also showed you other potential paths, including one that takes 25 minutes. If someone previously showed you the 25-minute way as the sole option and you didn’t check the app beforehand, it might be the only route you would ever take. Fifteen minutes is not a big deal if it’s a one-time occurrence. However, if you make the drive twice daily, every business day, it would waste 2.5 hours per week and approximately 120 hours per year
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If you want to learn more about improving your clinic’s efficiency and effectiveness, consider reading my book, No Work After Hours, and viewing prior blog posts.
