Two separate visits to different ophthalmologists reveal a big problem for doctors.
At her husband’s appointment, the resident, fellow and attending physician all spent much of the visit furiously typing into the electronic health record, writes Christine A. Sinsky, M.D., in a blog post for NEJM Catalyst.
In contrast, at her visit, the physician did not type much at all, but instead spent time talking and attentively listening, says Sinsky, who as vice president of professional satisfaction at the American Medical Association is working to create conditions to return joy to the practice of medicine and make “presence” with patients possible.
“As a physician, it has been the times when I push away from the computer to pause, look and listen to the patient in which I find the most meaning, the most value,” writes Sinsky.
One survey found that 55% of physicians have considered quitting the medical field, with the majority blaming the amount of time they must spend entering data into electronic health records.
At the practice level, physicians can work smarter, not harder, Sinsky says. Practices can reengineer their work to allow physicians to focus on the importance of communicating with patients, she says.
Suneel Dhand, M.D., an internal medicine physician and author, agrees that doctors need to make changes to give patients what they really want. The healthcare information technology train—that takes doctors away from patient care—“has been a disaster for the practice of good medicine,” Dhand writes in a blog post for KevinMD.
While computers are here to stay, doctors can take steps to ensure they don't allow them to interfere with patient communications. For instance, doctors should position computers so they can face patients instead of turning their backs to them.