new technology and healthcare

Your Aunt Mary is elderly and lives alone. She just returned from a visit with her primary care physician. She noticed today that Dr. Alice did not bring a chart into the exam room. Instead, she had a little computer. Aunt Mary is upset. She does not understand this new technology as it relates to her healthcare. What key concepts about EHRs would you include in an informal teaching plan for Aunt Mary?

 

As you consider this TD scenario, be thinking about the following questions as well.

 

Have you ever had an Aunt Mary experience when you or your family has encountered the healthcare system? How did you cope with it?

How do you respond to a patient who complains that the nursing staff is paying more attention to the computer and technology than to him or her? Do you think the patient may be telling the truth? If not, how do you convince him or her otherwise? What advice would you give to your colleagues to minimize this impression?

Have you had any experiences with your patients relating to you that they are finding information about their healthcare needs on the Internet? How do you ensure that what they are finding is from a credible site?