Ehr Autonomy

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Electronic Health Records and Loss of Autonomy The purpose of this paper is to discuss the findings of Electronic Health Records (EHR) and autonomy of the physician. This study done by Worcester Polytechnic Institute this article was presented at Proceedings of the Seventeenth Americas Conference on Information Systems, Detroit, Michigan August 4th-7th 2011 (Margot McGimpsey, 2011). This article started out as a study of a healthcare practice and the implementation of EHR’s and its effects on a healthcare organization that prides itself on autonomy. These physicians have worked years training in their field of study and value their independence, or their autonomy. Physicians pride themselves on the ability to treat their patients with autonomy,…show more content…
EHR’s are just that a record on the computer instead of hand written. Maybe it makes the physician more careful about how he spells or how he phrases the content of the procedure he just completed, but I cannot find any hard evidence that EHR’s are causing loss of autonomy. I find the size of the practice may be the problem for loss of autonomy. With too many physician in the group and the individual physician is getting lost in the crowd. They also have a central administration that plans and initiates change and the physicians are not sure how to handle someone else making their decision for them. The EHR’s are being held responsible for the physician getting lost in the crowd and losing autonomy. Professional autonomy definition: “professionals' having control over the conditions, processes, procedures, or content of their work according to their own collective and, ultimately, individual judgment in the application of their profession's body of knowledge and expertise.” (Margot McGimpsey, 2011) I do not find that EHR’s are changing this definition. I find that the HC professionals don’t like change and is using the “loss of autonomy” as an excuse to fall back on what they are most comfortable
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