Comments on: A lack of computer skills will make a doctor unemployable http://www.kevinmd.com/blog/2009/11/lack-computer-skills-doctor-unemployable.html Wed, 15 Feb 2012 00:05:00 +0000 hourly 1 By: MANALIVEhttp://www.kevinmd.com/blog/2009/11/lack-computer-skills-doctor-unemployable.html#comment-119165 MANALIVE Wed, 18 Nov 2009 16:58:22 +0000 http://www.kevinmd.com/blog/?p=41296#comment-119165 "But most hospitals and private practices are using some sort of computer system for their day to day operations, and if you can’t manage that skill set you are going to have a tough time competing with your fellow physicians." False! As an old FP without EMR, I'm getting lots of new patients who leave younger, EMR-usuing docs -- whose eyes never look up from their computers. “But most hospitals and private practices are using some sort of computer system for their day to day operations, and if you can’t manage that skill set you are going to have a tough time competing with your fellow physicians.”
False!
As an old FP without EMR, I’m getting lots of new patients who leave younger, EMR-usuing docs — whose eyes never look up from their computers.

]]> By: R Watkinshttp://www.kevinmd.com/blog/2009/11/lack-computer-skills-doctor-unemployable.html#comment-119164 R Watkins Wed, 18 Nov 2009 16:53:27 +0000 http://www.kevinmd.com/blog/?p=41296#comment-119164 Thanks for the clarification. Appreciate your comments. Thanks for the clarification. Appreciate your comments.

]]> By: Adam Mlynarcikhttp://www.kevinmd.com/blog/2009/11/lack-computer-skills-doctor-unemployable.html#comment-119163 Adam Mlynarcik Wed, 18 Nov 2009 16:39:40 +0000 http://www.kevinmd.com/blog/?p=41296#comment-119163 " I haven’t found anything electronic that works as well for me"But you are looking. In fact you are using computers not only to research but, to communicate with others in your field, which obviously shows that you are not in the group of individuals this article is about.Nobody said you had to have an EMR system in place to be employable. It was said that you must be able to use a computer for daily activities such as email, viewing, & updating patient information.Now whether your medical records are on paper or are digital is up to you (for right now). But most hospitals and private practices are using some sort of computer system for their day to day operations, and if you can't manage that skill set you are going to have a tough time competing with your fellow physicians.- Adam ” I haven’t found anything electronic that works as well for me”

But you are looking. In fact you are using computers not only to research but, to communicate with others in your field, which obviously shows that you are not in the group of individuals this article is about.

Nobody said you had to have an EMR system in place to be employable. It was said that you must be able to use a computer for daily activities such as email, viewing, & updating patient information.

Now whether your medical records are on paper or are digital is up to you (for right now). But most hospitals and private practices are using some sort of computer system for their day to day operations, and if you can’t manage that skill set you are going to have a tough time competing with your fellow physicians.

- Adam

]]> By: R Watkinshttp://www.kevinmd.com/blog/2009/11/lack-computer-skills-doctor-unemployable.html#comment-119161 R Watkins Wed, 18 Nov 2009 16:28:51 +0000 http://www.kevinmd.com/blog/?p=41296#comment-119161 "The issue is not how willing are physicians to tie themselves to bad products, it is how willing are they to spend time researching technology, implementing good systems, and completing daily activities on computers.Without such a skill set they aren’t beneficial to a practice."I wrote my first computer programs in 1963 at age 10 at the University of Virginia. But I still use paper records because I haven't found anything electronic that works as well for me, my staff, and my patients.I guess I'm not beneficial to my practice!. “The issue is not how willing are physicians to tie themselves to bad products, it is how willing are they to spend time researching technology, implementing good systems, and completing daily activities on computers.

Without such a skill set they aren’t beneficial to a practice.”

I wrote my first computer programs in 1963 at age 10 at the University of Virginia. But I still use paper records because I haven’t found anything electronic that works as well for me, my staff, and my patients.

I guess I’m not beneficial to my practice!

.

]]> By: Adam Mlynarcikhttp://www.kevinmd.com/blog/2009/11/lack-computer-skills-doctor-unemployable.html#comment-119160 Adam Mlynarcik Wed, 18 Nov 2009 16:19:40 +0000 http://www.kevinmd.com/blog/?p=41296#comment-119160 R Watkins,Maybe taking some time to sit in your IT department would help you understand how profoundly "computer illiterate" many people actually are.On your statement: "Anyone who graduated from medical school can learn to use a computer in 2 hours. "This simply not true. Graduating medical school and being able to use a computer efficiently aren't correlated. Just because you are a Doctor doesn't mean you understand how to use a computer. Plenty of people that work at McDonald's could do more to a computer than your med school graduate will ever understand.The issue is not how willing are physicians to tie themselves to bad products, it is how willing are they to spend time researching technology, implementing good systems, and completing daily activities on computers.Without such a skill set they aren't beneficial to a practice.- Adam R Watkins,

Maybe taking some time to sit in your IT department would help you understand how profoundly “computer illiterate” many people actually are.

On your statement: “Anyone who graduated from medical school can learn to use a computer in 2 hours. ”

This simply not true. Graduating medical school and being able to use a computer efficiently aren’t correlated. Just because you are a Doctor doesn’t mean you understand how to use a computer. Plenty of people that work at McDonald’s could do more to a computer than your med school graduate will ever understand.

The issue is not how willing are physicians to tie themselves to bad products, it is how willing are they to spend time researching technology, implementing good systems, and completing daily activities on computers.

Without such a skill set they aren’t beneficial to a practice.

- Adam

]]> By: R Watkinshttp://www.kevinmd.com/blog/2009/11/lack-computer-skills-doctor-unemployable.html#comment-119157 R Watkins Wed, 18 Nov 2009 15:55:14 +0000 http://www.kevinmd.com/blog/?p=41296#comment-119157 The point is not being compute literate (silly phrase). Anyone who graduated from medical school can learn to use a computer in 2 hours. The issue is how willing are the physicians to chain themselves to poorly designed EMRs that interfere with good patient care The point is not being compute literate (silly phrase). Anyone who graduated from medical school can learn to use a computer in 2 hours. The issue is how willing are the physicians to chain themselves to poorly designed EMRs that interfere with good patient care

]]> By: Adam Mlynarcikhttp://www.kevinmd.com/blog/2009/11/lack-computer-skills-doctor-unemployable.html#comment-119152 Adam Mlynarcik Wed, 18 Nov 2009 15:24:07 +0000 http://www.kevinmd.com/blog/?p=41296#comment-119152 This is so true, even outside of the health care industry. Being "computer illiterate" is like being plain old illiterate any more.I have seen that most physicians have been pretty receptive to the technological advances in the field, at least in our area, but we still have some that are reluctant to change.- Adam This is so true, even outside of the health care industry. Being “computer illiterate” is like being plain old illiterate any more.

I have seen that most physicians have been pretty receptive to the technological advances in the field, at least in our area, but we still have some that are reluctant to change.

- Adam

]]> By: Michael Kirsch, M.D.http://www.kevinmd.com/blog/2009/11/lack-computer-skills-doctor-unemployable.html#comment-119149 Michael Kirsch, M.D. Wed, 18 Nov 2009 15:10:36 +0000 http://www.kevinmd.com/blog/?p=41296#comment-119149 Our office will be adopted EMR in the coming months. I am looking forward to it with the same enthuasiasm I would have for a rigid sigmoidoscopy or root canal work. I should be comfortable with the digital age, since we gastroenterologists have been doing this exam for at least a millenium or two. Our office will be adopted EMR in the coming months. I am looking forward to it with the same enthuasiasm I would have for a rigid sigmoidoscopy or root canal work. I should be comfortable with the digital age, since we gastroenterologists have been doing this exam for at least a millenium or two.

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