Skip to content
  • About
  • Contact
  • Contribute
  • Book
  • Careers
  • Podcast
  • Recommended
  • Speaking
  • All
  • Physician
  • Practice
  • Policy
  • Finance
  • Conditions
  • .edu
  • Patient
  • Meds
  • Tech
  • Social
  • Video
    • All
    • Physician
    • Practice
    • Policy
    • Finance
    • Conditions
    • .edu
    • Patient
    • Meds
    • Tech
    • Social
    • Video
    • About
    • Contact
    • Contribute
    • Book
    • Careers
    • Podcast
    • Recommended
    • Speaking

When physicians focus more on screens than patients

Carmen Heredia Rodriguez
Tech
July 29, 2019
293 Shares
Share
Tweet
Share

As Wei Wei Lee sat with her doctor to discuss starting a family, she felt a “distance” between them. The physician was busy on the computer and focused on the screen.

“It just didn’t feel very personal,” Lee said. “I didn’t feel heard.”

It seemed as though keeping a record of the conversation was more important to the doctor than making a connection with Lee.

It wasn’t the experience she wanted, but she could relate: Lee is Dr. Wei Wei Lee, a primary care physician with the University of Chicago Medicine.

When she first started using electronic health records (EHRs) in the exam room, Lee struggled too. She would apologize to patients for not giving them her full attention. And Lee spent valuable patient time trying to toggle between tasks on the computer, she said.

Today, Lee studies the influence of electronic health records on the doctor-patient relationship. She’s interested in improving physicians’ “computer-side manner.”

Electronic health records can help reduce medical errors, but when not used well they can strain the doctor-patient relationship.

But medical providers — and patients — can learn skills to keep communication flowing even when there’s a screen in the room, Lee said.

KHN spoke with Lee about her survey of patients at the University of Chicago Medicine. Lee found that the vast majority of them were satisfied with doctors using computers in the exam room. But some people felt the focus of their appointments had shifted away from them. And the medical provider’s body language sometimes made communication more difficult:

In the past, the patient could be the center of attention through that visit. Now, the physician is really dividing their attention between putting in orders and working in the computer without paying full attention to the patient. So, eye contact, having a back to the patient, awkward silences while the doctor is looking up something in the computer — all these can cause challenging communication issues for patients.

Those “awkward silences” can have consequences, Lee said.

Most patients want to go to the doctor to feel that they’re heard and really be able to talk to the doctor about what’s bothering them. When the computer is not used well, often it can make that patient less likely to go back to that physician if they felt like there was a disconnect in the way that they communicated. Other things that can happen are medical errors. If the doctor is more distracted during that visit, they may put in wrong orders for medications or not record a part of the history that is pertinent.

Lee and colleagues developed strategies to help physicians better relate to their patients while also working with a computer. There’s now a curriculum to teach clinicians how to use EHRs in a “patient-centered” way.

A lot of it has to do with behaviors and skills that are not rocket science. For example, starting off the visit completely technology-free. Greeting your patient. Honoring that golden minute. Establishing rapport and conversation in that first minute can really go a long way. And then another thing that’s been found to be very helpful is screen-sharing.

So what does effective screen-sharing look like? Instead of placing the computer between the patient and doctor, the physician can move his or her chair next to the patient so they are sitting side by side, Lee suggested. Then, the computer is positioned in front of both of them — to form a triangle. And if a computer is still getting in the way of conversation, Lee says patients shouldn’t hesitate to speak up. Her team developed a comic using a simple ABC mnemonic to teach people those skills. Ask To See The Screen. Become Involved. Call For Attention.

I think speaking up and calling for that attention is a way to continue to build that relationship with their doctor because it may be a behavior that the physicians aren’t aware of. There may be times when they’re talking about a sensitive topic or issues that have come up that they want the physician’s undivided attention. In those moments, I think it’s OK to say, “Is it OK if we just talk without the computer for a few minutes?”

I think that goes a long way to also just signaling to the physician that there is something that the patient really finds important.

Carmen Heredia Rodriguez is a correspondent, Kaiser Health News.

Image credit: Wei Wei Lee and The Arnold P. Gold Foundation

Prev

What to do when physicians get subpoenaed as witnesses

July 29, 2019 Kevin 1
…
Next

Are pediatric hospitals ready to embrace value-based payment models?

July 30, 2019 Kevin 0
…

Tagged as: Health IT, Primary Care

Post navigation

< Previous Post
What to do when physicians get subpoenaed as witnesses
Next Post >
Are pediatric hospitals ready to embrace value-based payment models?

More by Carmen Heredia Rodriguez

  • COVID-19 showcases the bravery of first responders

    Carmen Heredia Rodriguez

Related Posts

  • Are patients using social media to attack physicians?

    David R. Stukus, MD
  • The complex expectations of patients toward their physicians

    Michael L. Millenson
  • Physicians and patients must work together to improve health care

    Michele Luckenbaugh
  • Violence in the emergency department puts patients and physicians at risk

    Vidor E. Friedman, MD
  • The risk physicians take when going on social media

    Anonymous
  • Let’s order a round of respect: for both patients and physicians

    R. Lynn Barnett

More in Tech

  • Is AI the solution for the shortage of nephrologists? ChatGPT weighs in.

    Amol Shrikhande, MD
  • How AI is enhancing patient care and improving radiologists’ lives

    Brett Mollard, MD
  • ChatGPT masters USMLE: a real win for AI, but a long way from the art of medicine

    Harvey Castro, MD, MBA
  • The game-changing impact of AI regulation: Unlocking the potential in health care and society

    Harvey Castro, MD, MBA
  • Surviving TMI and AI: the importance of self-initiated self-learning for future physicians

    Deepak Gupta, MD and Sarwan Kumar, MD
  • Navigating the ethics of AI in surgery: Balancing bias and accountability for safer procedures

    Jag Singh, MD
  • Most Popular

  • Past Week

    • The power of coaching for physicians: transforming thoughts, changing lives

      Kim Downey, PT | Conditions
    • The hidden factor in physician burnout: How the climate crisis is contributing to the erosion of well-being

      Elizabeth Cerceo, MD | Physician
    • Physician entrepreneurs offer hope for burned out doctors

      Cindy Rubin, MD | Physician
    • We need a new Hippocratic Oath that puts patient autonomy first

      Jeffrey A. Singer, MD | Physician
    • Boxing legends Tyson and Foreman: powerful lessons for a resilient and evolving health care future

      Harvey Castro, MD, MBA | Physician
    • Is chaos in health care leading us towards socialized medicine? How physician burnout is a catalyst.

      Howard Smith, MD | Physician
  • Past 6 Months

    • Breaking point: the 5 reasons American doctors are dreaming of walking away from medicine

      Amol Shrikhande, MD | Physician
    • It’s time to replace the 0 to 10 pain intensity scale with a better measure

      Mark Sullivan, MD and Jane Ballantyne, MD | Conditions
    • “Is your surgeon really skilled? The hidden threat to public safety in medicine.

      Gene Uzawa Dorio, MD | Physician
    • Unveiling the hidden damage: the secretive world of medical boards

      Alan Lindemann, MD | Physician
    • Breaking the cycle of racism in health care: a call for anti-racist action

      Tomi Mitchell, MD | Policy
    • Revolutionize your practice: the value-based care model that reduces physician burnout

      Chandravadan Patel, MD | Physician
  • Recent Posts

    • Decoding name displays in health care: Privacy, identification, and compliance unveiled

      Deepak Gupta, MD | Physician
    • Empowering Black nurses for lasting change [PODCAST]

      The Podcast by KevinMD | Podcast
    • Master time management with 7 productivity strategies for optimal results

      Farzana Hoque, MD | Physician
    • Proposed USPSTF guideline update: Advocating for earlier breast cancer screening at age 40

      Hoag Memorial Hospital Presbyterian | Conditions
    • The rising threat of lung cancer in Asian American female nonsmokers

      Alice S. Y. Lee, MD | Conditions
    • The tragic story of Mr. G: a painful journey towards understanding suicide

      William Lynes, MD | Physician

Subscribe to KevinMD and never miss a story!

Get free updates delivered free to your inbox.


Find jobs at
Careers by KevinMD.com

Search thousands of physician, PA, NP, and CRNA jobs now.

Learn more

Leave a Comment

Founded in 2004 by Kevin Pho, MD, KevinMD.com is the web’s leading platform where physicians, advanced practitioners, nurses, medical students, and patients share their insight and tell their stories.

Social

  • Like on Facebook
  • Follow on Twitter
  • Connect on Linkedin
  • Subscribe on Youtube
  • Instagram

CME Spotlights

From MedPage Today

Latest News

  • Novel Anti-HER2 Drugs 'Impressive' in Advanced Biliary Cancer
  • What Was Tied to Lower Long COVID Risk?
  • Chemo-Free Approach Works in Subset of Patients With HER2+ Early Breast Cancer
  • Two-Drug Combo Wins for Refractory Gout
  • First-in-Class Sjogren's Drug Passes Mid-Stage Test

Meeting Coverage

  • Novel Anti-HER2 Drugs 'Impressive' in Advanced Biliary Cancer
  • Chemo-Free Approach Works in Subset of Patients With HER2+ Early Breast Cancer
  • Two-Drug Combo Wins for Refractory Gout
  • First-in-Class Sjogren's Drug Passes Mid-Stage Test
  • Pricey Drug Combo Boosts PFS in First-Line Advanced Ovarian Cancer
  • Most Popular

  • Past Week

    • The power of coaching for physicians: transforming thoughts, changing lives

      Kim Downey, PT | Conditions
    • The hidden factor in physician burnout: How the climate crisis is contributing to the erosion of well-being

      Elizabeth Cerceo, MD | Physician
    • Physician entrepreneurs offer hope for burned out doctors

      Cindy Rubin, MD | Physician
    • We need a new Hippocratic Oath that puts patient autonomy first

      Jeffrey A. Singer, MD | Physician
    • Boxing legends Tyson and Foreman: powerful lessons for a resilient and evolving health care future

      Harvey Castro, MD, MBA | Physician
    • Is chaos in health care leading us towards socialized medicine? How physician burnout is a catalyst.

      Howard Smith, MD | Physician
  • Past 6 Months

    • Breaking point: the 5 reasons American doctors are dreaming of walking away from medicine

      Amol Shrikhande, MD | Physician
    • It’s time to replace the 0 to 10 pain intensity scale with a better measure

      Mark Sullivan, MD and Jane Ballantyne, MD | Conditions
    • “Is your surgeon really skilled? The hidden threat to public safety in medicine.

      Gene Uzawa Dorio, MD | Physician
    • Unveiling the hidden damage: the secretive world of medical boards

      Alan Lindemann, MD | Physician
    • Breaking the cycle of racism in health care: a call for anti-racist action

      Tomi Mitchell, MD | Policy
    • Revolutionize your practice: the value-based care model that reduces physician burnout

      Chandravadan Patel, MD | Physician
  • Recent Posts

    • Decoding name displays in health care: Privacy, identification, and compliance unveiled

      Deepak Gupta, MD | Physician
    • Empowering Black nurses for lasting change [PODCAST]

      The Podcast by KevinMD | Podcast
    • Master time management with 7 productivity strategies for optimal results

      Farzana Hoque, MD | Physician
    • Proposed USPSTF guideline update: Advocating for earlier breast cancer screening at age 40

      Hoag Memorial Hospital Presbyterian | Conditions
    • The rising threat of lung cancer in Asian American female nonsmokers

      Alice S. Y. Lee, MD | Conditions
    • The tragic story of Mr. G: a painful journey towards understanding suicide

      William Lynes, MD | Physician

MedPage Today Professional

An Everyday Health Property Medpage Today
  • Terms of Use | Disclaimer
  • Privacy Policy
  • DMCA Policy
All Content © KevinMD, LLC
Site by Outthink Group

Leave a Comment

Comments are moderated before they are published. Please read the comment policy.

Loading Comments...