The advent of new technologies has given rise to a new era of doctor-patient relationships. Traditionally, patients would visit doctors to tell them about their health related issues, talk about those issues, and have a one-on-one discussion about how they should proceed with the treatment, all under the name of doctor-patient confidentiality.
This used to be beneficial for doctors in fostering healthy and sustainable relationships and beneficial for the patients in the way an inter-personal relationship helps in reducing stress and provide encouragement - for there are several studies which show that expressing your problems to a concerned person reduces the levels of stress.
The evolution of Electronic Medical Records has brought with itself a drastic change in the way a doctor communicates with his patients. Patients can now communicate with their doctors and healthcare providers sitting at the comfort of their homes through medical devices such smart phones, tablets and personal computers. Through the Patient Portal, a patient can ask for a prescription refill, lab results or any other information that he/she might want to view.
This used to be beneficial for doctors in fostering healthy and sustainable relationships and beneficial for the patients in the way an inter-personal relationship helps in reducing stress and provide encouragement - for there are several studies which show that expressing your problems to a concerned person reduces the levels of stress.
The evolution of Electronic Medical Records has brought with itself a drastic change in the way a doctor communicates with his patients. Patients can now communicate with their doctors and healthcare providers sitting at the comfort of their homes through medical devices such smart phones, tablets and personal computers. Through the Patient Portal, a patient can ask for a prescription refill, lab results or any other information that he/she might want to view.
Previously, when a patient needed something, he would go to the doctor, who would provide consultation and provide the patient with a prescription refill or an explanation regarding their health condition. Through Electronic Medical Records, the computer system automatically looks at the pattern of disease or illness and presents a very thorough explanation of how the disease has progressed and what remedies a patient is allowed, all the while cross-referencing with the patients history for allergies and drug reactions. While this process is great in the sense that it reduces the probability of errors in prescription, it also presents a stark contrast to the contemporary doctor-patient relationship.
A doctor-patient relationship is or was based on mutual trust, which came with the interaction between the doctor and the patient occurring through a patient visit to the doctor. It is true that Electronic Medical Records and the Health Information Exchange presents a plethora of benefits both to the doctor and patient, but the biggest change that comes with these systems, is the loss or rather a lack of trust. A doctor-patient relationship will now be more like a business relationship where the most of the interaction would be based on issues of payment, insurance, and permission to view information – all on a screen.
A doctor-patient relationship is or was based on mutual trust, which came with the interaction between the doctor and the patient occurring through a patient visit to the doctor. It is true that Electronic Medical Records and the Health Information Exchange presents a plethora of benefits both to the doctor and patient, but the biggest change that comes with these systems, is the loss or rather a lack of trust. A doctor-patient relationship will now be more like a business relationship where the most of the interaction would be based on issues of payment, insurance, and permission to view information – all on a screen.