I would like to share some thoughts on the EHR. The EHR is inevitable, and we should embrace it as an industry and as patients ourselves. Just as many species of life became extinct because they could not or did not adapt to an evolving planet, if we resist the natural evolution of technology and do not adapt we will become extinct. Technology is changing at a very rapid pace, and you can see that if you look around. Today's consumer (patient) wants information readily available, and in the very near future these patients will want their healthcare information readily available, as well. Much information is available on handheld computing devices - why not medical records? As an industry (and AHDI as an association), we must look for innovative ways to deliver our services in order to remain competitive.
Yes, I said competitive. We have considered ourselves indispensable in the healthcare industry, but now we are competing with IT vendors and other groups for our place in the future of healthcare documentation. If we remain resistant to change, we will be seen as obsolete and will be left out of the equation. It's not too late to save our profession, but we must act now! The EHR is coming, and every person in the MT industry must accept that. AHDI is putting together continuing education programs on emerging technology, and even a new certification for speech recognition technology. I encourage all MTs (or "healthcare documentation technologists") to take advantage of these offerings. We must not become extinct - we must step out of our comfort zones and embrace the technology that will be part of our industry, whether we like it or not. :)
Brett
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