Your file at the doctor’s office may soon go paperless
Posted March 16, 2012 10:35 am.
This article is more than 5 years old.
VANCOUVER (NEWS1130) – Your doctor’s office may be one of the many starting to move to paperless records; but the transition hasn’t been without some growing pains.
“Starting up was difficult. It’s a matter of learning the system and learning the shortcuts,” explains Dr. Bob Mackie from Vancouver’s The Doctor’s Office, which has made the switch to paperless.
Once you get past the learning process, Mackie tells us the system can be very useful. “The repetitive things that you do, the things you need to pull up quickly, the information from other offices… can come in an efficient system.”
“Doctors are having to keep less information in their heads. Things about new drugs, new dosages; if you can look them up, then you don’t have to remember them,” he adds.
Patients have mixed reviews based on their experiences.
“When the computer isn’t working, it’s not good. When the computer system is working well and they come in for a renewal of a prescription or the results of a test, they love it,” Mackie notes.
He can see why some clinics haven’t made the move, as there are concerns about continued funding from the government to help make it happen. Mackie also looks forward to the day their system is integrated with specialists and pharmacies.
