EHR Manners

Electronic Health Records (EHRs) and How Doctors Use Them:

“Human Ways to Make the New Technologies Work”

In a recent email, we addressed the need to be cognizant of how technology can ride roughshod over the “human ways” of relating to one another.  A recent article we became aware of was addressed to physicians as they apply a relatively new technology, i.e., Electronic Health Records (EHRs), to patient sessions.  The article is entitled, “Do Your EHR Manners Turn Patients Off?”

The article speaks to an AMA policy to “make physicians aware of tips and resources for effectively using computers and…EHRs in patient-physician interactions.”  The issue is that physicians are so engaged with the computer that they don’t make eye contact with the patient, which leaves patients feeling disconnected.  In fact, the original AMA report specifically urges physicians to set up the examination room so that one can make eye contact with patients while working on the computer.  The article goes so far as to encourage physicians “to put questions about EHRs into patient satisfaction surveys.”

When CEC Associates Incorporated began more than 30 years ago, we were determined from the outset to create our professional services within a strict framework of concern for our injured worker clients, and we have demanded that same level of concern from all of our associates in their work.  We have worked hard to subordinate all of our uses of technology (i.e., computer applications) with our primary responsibility of developing injured worker assessments and forensic testimony in a manner that assured our understanding of the, almost always, difficult realities of our examinee’s lives.

We are heartened to find the AMA validating our insistence on care and understanding for clients by urging the same care and understanding on their professionals. Human Ways to Make the New Technologies Work!

• What is your perspective on how electronic record taking/keeping has affected your relationship with clients?
• How do you ensure that your clients receive the personal service they were accustomed to before the new technologies evolved? 
• How would you rate the effectiveness of your communication when simultaneously taking electronic notes and conversing with your client?

The “Culture” that Defines Your Company

Essentially any group that has been cohesive and active for some time, say more that two years, has developed a uniqueness, which can be identified as a “culture” – a company culture.  Even by doing nothing overtly to create and nurture a company culture, it evolves on its own.  The foremost values of the dominant personalities prevail.  And in doing so, these values define that specific culture.

The culture assumes the composite values of the people who make up the company.  In the long-run, everything in a given culture boils down to the values the group believes in, sometimes referred to as “shared values.”  These can include:

• interest in the work-life balance of the employees,
• commitment to the health and wellness of the employees,
• active, ongoing interest in community betterment (especially ecology),
• firm commitment to employee involvement in the functioning of the group, and
• consistent fostering of trust and autonomy.

It is possible to shape the behaviors of individuals in a company, thereby changing the culture.  Some practices employers and employees can engage in to add to the existing culture include:

• fostering individual resilience,
• practicing participation in the ongoing shaping of the culture,
• encouraging self-expression,
• having the passion for staying engaged, and
• contributing something.

What else should be considered in terms of creating an effective work culture?  Has your company articulated or documented what it understands to be its unique culture?  If so, would you consider sharing that document?

12 Green Tips for the Holidays

It’s that time of year again… the holidays, when everyone is thinking about presents and decorations and more presents. Well, in keeping with the holiday spirit, we want to share with you some green tips to keep the Earth a priority during this time of giving.

So here it goes… "Twelve Green Tips for the Holidays"

1. Have you ever heard of “treecycling” your tree? Once your decorations are off and you’re trying not to get too many pine needles in your carpet, think “what can this tree do next?” How about using it for mulching or composting? Click here for more information on where/how to recycle your tree. Be sure to check with members of your community solid waste department to find out if they collect and mulch trees.


2. Fiber optic trees and decorations are the ultimate in energy efficiency. In most cases, they use a single light bulb located in the base of the unit to light the entire decoration – now that's energy smart and budget smart.


3. Limit the time holiday lights are on. Wait until dark to turn on your Christmas lights and turn them off before you go to bed. Make your goal six hours or less of daily use. Afraid you’ll forget? Set a timer & forget about it!


4. When ordering merchandise online or for shipment, request the use of recycled packaging material (recycled paper, bamboo, or corn plastics) – these products biodegrade when composted. Specifically request no Styrofoam, which is made with petroleum, a non-sustainable and heavily polluting product. If you receive a gift stuffed with Styrofoam, find a company that will reuse it.


5. Having guests? Turn down the heat a little. Encourage layered dressing and let your guests know that you’re green conscious. Remember, by changing the temperature by 2 degrees all year, you can save about 2,000 pounds of CO2 a year.


6. Plan your shopping trips carefully. Make one trip to the mall instead of three, which will save gas. Walking to stores or carpooling with friends is even better. Another way to reduce fuel consumption is to buy locally; shopping in your hometown supports the local merchants and strengthens the community, and it cuts fuel use if you walk to town.


7. There’s no way you can reuse holiday cards, right? Wrong! Remove the back and create a postcard. Or, use the card as a gift tag for gift giving next year.


8. Take your own bags on shopping trips. Keep them in the car so they’re ready whenever you stop at a store.


9. Need party snacks and beverages? Buy in bulk to avoid extra packaging.


10. Turn it off! Common misconceptions sometimes account for the failure to turn off equipment. Many people believe that equipment lasts longer if it is never turned off. This incorrect perception carries over from the days of older mainframe computers.


11. Have a large family with a lot of gifts to wrap? Try creating a treasure map for the kids to find their gifts.


12. Green your holiday travel! If you are one of the many people planning to log a lot of travel miles this holiday season, don't forget to look into green options for getting around.