Relationology

Relationology - Using Technology to Build Relationships by Tim Hutchison, M.D. and Ken Hekman, MBA

What stands in the way of your ability to develop meaningful clinical relationships with your patients? Medical records are vital to high quality continuity of care; but for many physicians, they also represent an administrative and legal burden – a time-consuming chore that hinders the chance to build meaningful relationships with patients. All that can change with the integration of electronic medical records (EMR).

It takes courage to adopt an EMR system. As with any new technology, it can be challenging to select, to buy, and to learn. Our motivation, however, transcended the challenge, because we were committed to provide high quality clinical care, and still have time to build relationships. We looked for “relationology,” ways to integrate technology to benefit our relationships in all their potential dimensions.

We’ve been using an EMR system in our family practice for more than five years, and the benefits to building relationships have been beyond our expectations. For example:

• Whenever I enter a room, I can make eye contact with the patient and welcome them appropriately because I know that everything (lab results, vitals, PMH, medicine lists, etc.) I need for the encounter is just a mouse-click away. In short, I enter the room ready to listen.
• I can make sure that I address all the issues the patient reported to my medical assistant.
• My notes are more complete since I can clarify and document exactly how the patient describes their complaint or concern.
• I develop trust with the patient because they often watch what I am typing and know what is in their chart. The computer screen helps to create a more interactive environment as patients participate in the creation of the data in their charts.
• Because I don’t have to spend a lot of time dictating a note, I can spend more time discussing the diagnosis and plan.

Physician relationships have also improved, both in the office and out. In the office, the use of EMR has helped the physicians develop a consistent approach to patient management. It also helps prevent the frustration of not being able to read each other’s writing, or find the information because of style differences. Also, because we are more efficient in seeing our patients, we have been able to consult each other more frequently which improves medical management of patients as well as teamwork. We can also provide our consultants with detailed notes even when they are to be seen the same day, because we are completing the notes at the point of contact.

Another tremendous impact the EMR has had in our office is in the relationships between physicians and staff. Our medical assistants and clinical staff are more much involved in patient care. They take great pride in obtaining a complete and pertinent history. This has improved staff relationships with the patients, which has in turn improved relationships between the patients and physicians. We also use email to maintain clear communications between the clinical and clerical staff. Phone messages can be prioritized and handled more efficiently. All of this enables us to focus on building relationships with patients.

Medicaid, Medicare, and our other insurers also appreciate our well-documented services. We shine in compliance audits and have excellent success in winning claims appeals. Our productivity has increased and our reimbursement position has remained strong.

Finally, my family relationships have improved. Even on the busiest days, I can still get home for dinner and time with my family, usually by six. Because of increased patient satisfaction, increased staff morale and improved business reimbursement, I have fewer work stressors to take home. Now, when I go home, I can focus my attention on the most important people in my life, without being distracted by the worries of my practice.

It takes courage and vision to implement a technology as complex as EMR, and even more courage to welcome patients into the record-building process. But that kind of transparent trust enables relationships to grow from a clinical focus to addressing more fundamental needs. Technology has become an integral tool for improving our clinical care, our stewardship of time, and formed a foundation for building meaningful relationships. That’s why we call it “relationology” – using technology to build relationships.

About the authors: Tim Hutchison is a family physician formerly from Newberry, SC, now serving as a residency director in Nairobi, Kenya. Ken Hekman ken@hekmangroup.com is a medical management consultant based in Holland, MI. For more information, go to www.hekmangroup.com.