Presenters at the symposium on Electronic Health Records at the 69th Annual Meeting of the American Academy of Dermatology in New Orleans last month performed real-time demonstrations of EHRs they use. Each presentation was followed by robust discussion with questions from attendees about the relative strengths and weaknesses of each system. Unlike previous EHR-based presentations (which featured input mostly from vendors), this painted a portrait of EHRs in the real world of everyday practice. While the discussion dealt extensively with the issue of meaningful use incentives, the concerns of most in attendance seemed to be geared toward a different kind of meaningful use—one in which EHRs are meaningful to their users.

Defining Your Own Meaningful Use

Many questions regarding what qualifies as meaningful use will be answered when the government issues the first incentive checks for those who began meaningful use in January. But as we gain more experience with our EHRs, conjecture over incentive dollars will wane, and questions about meaningful use will apply to how an EHR aids in diagnosis, communication with pharmacists or dermatopathologists, and expediting daily practice operations.

EHRs are still relatively new to the practice of medicine, and anecdotal reports have mostly channeled the frustrations of new users. Moreover, many clinicians are aware that the sweeping changes that EHRs may bring to our own practices and to the country's healthcare system are still likely several years away. Nevertheless, it's never too soon to begin thinking about how an EHR can be incorporated into your practice in a way that lends to your established methods of running a practice and communicating with patients. While the past several years have been mired in difficulties for clinicians, it is not unrealistic to envision a future in which EHRs can create efficiencies that we cannot yet foresee. It may be harder to identify some of the built-in efficiencies that some EHRs offer, because transitioning from paper-based health records to electronic is a significant change and will have its share of growing pains.

In all reality, to see benefit in EHRs probably requires looking to the future. And while it may be hard to see how your EHR or a potential EHR may make your life easier, this will likely change for the better as health systems across the country become more centralized and digital-friendly. An important aspect of realizing this potential will be for clinicians to realistically confront the problems that EHRs present now and begin envisioning how these problems can be overcome and EHRs can be integrated into practice in an ultimately meaningful way.

As you reflect on your own evolving definition of meaningful use, gaining perspective on how currently available EHR systems would work in your practice can assist in understanding the technology and how it may benefit you, your staff, and your patients.

Looking Ahead

Over the next several months, we will offer up accounts from users of specific EHRs. These articles will provide insights into each of the authors' experiences with their respective EHR systems, with the goal of better familiarizing readers with how EHRs are used in real-life situations.