It's changed dramatically.
Going from paper to electronic medical records,
life has actually become easier.
I actually get done at the end of the day
in a meaningful time.
Then I can come home, have dinner,
and then spend my evening quietly working
on patient charts by signing into the office computer
and in the quiet and peace of home,
be able to take care of patients and their needs.
I think I've become a better doctor
just by having electronic medical records
and having the ability to work on
my patients' care undistracted
and in a manner of having everything in front of me.
I think that doctors today with technology
and them being able to do more symptoms,
they have more -- more patients
and they try to fit more in, but with this,
I think that it has given the doctor
a little bit more time with the patients.
It's more comforting knowing that it's more accurate,
and so he and I have a great relationship
and it's like -- it seems like it's not
so hard to ask questions, or -- and if I do, it's like --
I just feel more connected to him
because I can, you know, have more contact with him.
The patients like it.
They think that we're on the cutting edge of technology.
The day before we went live with our electronic medical record,
we were two and a half months behind
in filing paper.
Today on a bad day we're 45 minutes behind,
so that patients who come in have their data,
have their discharge summaries, their laboratory results,
consultations -- all that's available to me
to help them with their care.
Having the ability to talk to him about what's going on,
seeing his data in virtually real time,
makes it easier to work with Jack.
When I found out about the prescriptions
and how easy it is for me to get prescriptions now
and how easy it is to get to the doctor's office
without actually being there,
it has just made a big difference in my life.
We need to have his prescriptions updated,
we need to have his laboratory results
in front of us when he's there,
and we could never take care of Jack
in a meaningful way without,
really, having all of that data in front of us.
I would say, "Make sure that your doctor
is on the EHR, because it makes a world of difference."
I've seen the difference.
I've seen the difference in how the staff is,
how everything just flows so much smoother with this.
It's just unbelievable.
That's why I'm here.
I can speak as a patient how it has changed
my idea of going to the doctor.
We have patients who have been coming to us for 70 years now.
Five years ago, when we began this changeover,
it dramatically changed how they've been treated
for almost all of their lifetime.
I've had patients come who have been in the emergency room
the night before and been told,
"Go see Dr. Sobel in the morning."
They come in in the morning,
they go, "Oh, I was in the emergency room,"
and I go, "Oh, I know, and not only that,
I have all your records, I have your x-rays,
I have everything I need to know
to continue the care that began in the emergency room."
Patients are blown away.
They just can't believe that that actually happens,
'cause they've never experienced that
in an office we're they're on paper.
Implementing's always a challenge.
Once you make those conversions,
things move much smoother, much quicker.
The flow is definitely better.
Things are there.
You eliminate a huge waste of time
in just having a patient's record put together.