Chapter 1: The Challenge of Navigating EHRs

Locating patient information within an electronic health record (EHR) can feel akin to sifting through a cluttered kitchen drawer—a chaotic mix of items, some of which may eventually be useful but are currently just in the way. This metaphor aptly describes the state of many EHRs today. They contain a wealth of valuable information, but accessing specific data often requires unnecessary effort, as users dig through irrelevant entries.

Additionally, crucial test results may be trapped in another system, akin to knowing a small screwdriver you need is with a neighbor. While you could ask for it back, the wait could be frustrating, leading you to simply purchase a new one. Similarly, obtaining necessary patient data can be cumbersome, causing healthcare providers to order unnecessary tests due to time constraints.

Here’s where a more efficient approach comes into play.

Chapter 2: A New Approach to Data Management

Imagine hiring an organizational assistant who could sort through your cluttered drawer, pulling out currently useful items and neatly arranging them for easy access. This assistant could also establish a network with your neighbors, allowing you to know where to find similar useful items and even deliver them to you via a drone. Wouldn’t that be a remarkable solution?

Similarly, it’s feasible to develop a digital assistant capable of efficiently navigating EHR systems to present the information you need when you need it. Innovative developers are creating new interfaces that treat EHRs as relational databases rather than just clinical user interfaces.

This new interface would not only extract data from the EHR but also send information back, delivering a tailored experience for each clinician focused on patient care. Currently, while EHRs compile diverse data for billing and analytics, much of it does not aid real-time patient interactions, leading to frustration among healthcare providers.

Indeed, dissatisfaction with EHRs among physicians is widely recognized, with even musical tributes highlighting the issue. Given the substantial investments made in existing systems, a rapid overhaul by hospitals and healthcare organizations seems unlikely. EHR vendors have little motivation to make the drastic changes that clinicians desire.

This digital assistant concept could significantly reduce the struggles associated with EHRs while optimizing existing investments. Incorporating effective integration tools into these interfaces could allow for real-time data retrieval from various systems, including other EHRs, pharmacy databases, and emergency department applications, presenting relevant information for clinical decision-making.

The first video, Lecture 1 - Overview and Use of FHIR in OpenEMR, delves into how FHIR can enhance the usability of EHR systems, providing insights into its application and benefits.