Why Your EHR Sucks

Daniel Paull MD: EHRs are billing machines first, and that’s why we don’t like them

From/about the article: An EHR is a billing machine.

Most EHRs are terrible.

It’s easy to see why. The goal of an EHR is not to take notes for patients, it’s to generate billable charts, which can be sent to insurance companies just like they like it.

So that’s what they are, they are billing machines.

Providers and physicians don’t like them because they are not meant for notetaking or putting orders in. These are tertiary functions for an EHR after billing and medicolegal compliance. More time is spent clicking boxes to get compliant billing levels than actually putting readable notes in.

In fact, you can make a perfectly acceptable billable note without an ounce of free text, or any idea of what happened during a visit.

 

“You can make a perfectly acceptable billable note without an ounce of free text, or any idea of what happened during a visit.”

 

These notes are clinically worthless.

The EHR that I use is a HIPPA complaint google workspace drive. Can do notes and orders on templated google docs.

It costs $18 per user per month and makes all of the other google tools HIPAA complaint.

The reason it doesn’t cost a lot is because I don’t need to generate billing levels.

 

(let us now what you use for billing purposes, and why you enjoy the system you use. Submit your reply here.)

(The views expressed in this article are those of the author alone and do not necessarily reflect those of SoMeDocs)

Share this article:

Facebook
Twitter
Pinterest
LinkedIn
Threads
Email

Daniel Paull MD

Orthopedic Surgeon, Founder CEO Easy Orthopedics

All opinions published on SoMeDocs-Mag are those of the author and do not reflect the official position of SoMeDocs, its staff, or editors. Content on SoMeDocs is intended for informational and storytelling purposes only and should not be interpreted as medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment recommendations. Readers should always seek the guidance of their own qualified healthcare professional regarding personal health or medical decisions. SoMeDocs is a magazine built with the safety of free expression and diverse perspectives in mind.

Do you have a compelling personal story you’d like to see published on SoMeDocs? Submit your own article here.

Our Content

Latest articles

Us vs Them

The Psychology of “Us” and “Them”

What if one of healthcare’s biggest problems isn’t policy, but the way we divide the world into “us” and “them”? A physician reflects on identity, belonging, and what the World Cup teaches us about becoming “we.”

Learn

Learn from experts

Physician stories. Sharp commentary.

Straight to your inbox. Sign up for SoMeDocs updates and get new docuseries episodes, articles, conversations, and insider healthcare content as they drop.

Interested in subscribing
to our unique content?

Interested in subscribing to our unique content?

SOMeDOcs

Experts. Events. Opportunities. Networking. Learning. Earning. For Anyone Interested in Healthcare.