Question

Like the rest of the office staff, Barry is still learning how to use the new EHR system installed in the medical office. He is with a patient and is attempting to document the patient's chief complaint in the EHR system, but he cannot get the system to accept the information. What should Barry do?

1) Tell the patient the new system is causing disruptions throughout the office.
2) Ask the patient to wait while he tries repeatedly to get the system to work.
3) Document the patient's chief complaint on paper and enter it later into the EHR system.
4) Call the practitioner into the exam room to help him enter the information.
5) Skip this step and tell the patient the practitioner will be in shortly.

Answer 1

Barry should document the patient's chief complaint on paper and later enter it into the EHR system to ensure accurate record-keeping without delaying care.

Step-by-step explanation:

When faced with technical difficulties while using a new Electronic Health Record (EHR) system, Barry should prioritize patient care and confidentiality while resolving the issue. Given the options presented, the most appropriate action Barry could take is:

1. Document the patient's chief complaint on paper and enter it later into the EHR system. This ensures the information is recorded accurately without delaying care.

He should avoid disclosing office disruptions to the patient, unnecessary delays, or skipping vital steps in patient documentation. It's also not typically the practitioner's role to resolve IT issues during a patient exam unless absolutely necessary.