Second, for physicians who are in the twilight of their career, there’s hesitancy to spend a large sum on a new system that, for them, is going to have a relatively short life span.
Third, and last, I am concerned about up-coding. Although an EMR system may allow you to document a level-4 or level-5 service, is that truly necessary for the patient’s problem? With a yeast infection, for example, is a level-4 or level-5 service appropriate, even if the documentation supports it?
Did this roundtable—or the descriptive article on EMR in the July 2007 issue of OBG Management—leave you with questions on what electronic medical records can do for your practice? Write to the Editors at OBG@dowdenhealth.com and tell us what you still need to know. Your question may become part of upcoming coverage of the topic in these pages.