Doctor comments on JAMA’s recent EMR commentary:

Moreover, EMR encourages everyone to copy-and-paste the notes of everyone else so that notes become the same from author to author as well as from day to day. Even consultants are assimilated into the oneness of the EMR Borg. A cardiology consultant recently copied-and-pasted the intern’s note into his own, even including “consult cardiology in AM” in his recommendations. Perhaps he meant consult a more thoughtful cardiologist.

Pages of history, physical exam templates and review of systems can be generated with a single keystroke. Again, reimbursement is the driving factor. Essentially, more comprehensive notes = higher coding = higher reimbursement. (via Grand Rounds)