A recent article on medical blog Kevinmd.com lamented the looks and functionality of the average electronic medical record (EMR) in use today, claiming it “looks like it was designed in the 1980sâ€. He further complains that “nothing is connected: you have to have a mental picture of where information is located within the hidden folders of the EMR to find the information you need.â€
Why, the blogger asks, are hardware companies churning out technology such as the iPhone and Android phones and software companies producing intuitive programs such as Google Chrome and Gmail, yet EMRs still “look and act like Windows 95�
The answer: They don’t have to.
In his blog, Microsoft’s worldwide health senior director Bill Crounse, MD notes that while there are hundreds of EMR solutions on the market, gloEMR, produced by gloStream, “really seems to resonate with a growing list of satisfied clinician customers.â€
That, in part, is because gloEMR has an intuitive user interface and information is easily accessible—which addresses Kevinmd.com’s two major complains about the average EMR.
Just listen to what some of gloEMR’s users had to say:
- “gloStream’s electronic medical record software is so intuitive and easy to use.†Amanda Wood RT (R)(M)(BS), practice manager, Center for Women’s Health, Greenwood, Indiana
- “[I]nformation is where we want it and need it.†Dr. John Samani, MD, president, Institute for Athletic Medicine, Auburn Hills, Michigan
While some EMRs may lack in the areas Kevinmd.com discusses, others clearly do not. The key is not avoiding EMRs altogether—but avoiding EMRs that don’t offer the look and functionality you need.
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