Rethinking EHRs As Engagement Enablers

By Ken Congdon

There are numerous problems with many EHR products on the market today that I accept as fact — they’re cumbersome from a data entry perspective, counter-intuitive to clinical workflows, and aren’t conducive to interoperability. However, one of the biggest physician complaints about EHRs is that the technology places a barrier between them and their patients, which negatively impacts interaction and engagement. This gripe I don’t buy. I just don’t see this issue being inherent to the technology, but rather a prime example of user error.