home > books > read the book > chapter 13

written by mohammad al-ubaydli  

 

[prev] [up] [next]

• introduction
• Section I
• chapter 1
• chapter 2
• chapter 3
• chapter 4
• chapter 5
• chapter 6
• chapter 7
• chapter 8
• chapter 9
• chapter 10
• chapter 11
• Section II
• chapter 12
• chapter 13
• chapter 14
• Section III
• chapter 15
• chapter 16
• chapter 17
• chapter 18
• chapter 19
• chapter 20

Chapter 13
Case 2 - The General Practice surgery

Excerpt from the book....

The first question the general practitioners (GPs) asked was whether they could use the machines with the practice's electronic patient record (EPR). Such a feature usually tops every GP's wish list because it provides such a clear, easy advantage and return on investment. In fact, it was only a couple of weeks earlier that a representative from the EPR provider had visited the surgery to demonstrate such a product; it would allow the doctor to access and amend the patient's details on a handheld computer during a home visit. Once back at the surgery, the amendments would update the central system. By 2002, all the major EPR providers in the UK had begun developing handheld versions of their software that integrate into the central system.

We, therefore, predict confidently that in a few years, every GP in the UK will carry such a handheld with them on home visits. We also believe that it will take a few years before the software fully matures.

To take this particular EPR provider's example, despite its early promise the handheld had several disadvantages. First, the price at the time was about £600 ($900) per machine. Second, the machine was a little heavy and cumbersome to use, and not as user-friendly as we would have liked. Finally, we were worried that it carried the practice's entire records. Rather than focusing on just those that would be necessary for the home visit, the machine held over 12,000 patients' details. We were not yet comfortable in dealing with the security and confidentiality risks of carrying so much data. The company should be congratulated on how far they have progressed with the technology but, at the time of starting this project, we felt its solution was not appropriate.

In fact the doctors decided not to invest in any handheld technology until the EPR-linked application was ready. We thought otherwise.
We discussed with the GPs instances when the practice's reliance on paperwork was most irritating to the doctors. Three areas became apparent:

1. The personal development plan
2. Tracking of expenses
3. The cataloguing of useful clinical literature

End of excerpt. To buy the book, click here.

What would you like to do?

• Read the previous chapter
• Read the next chapter
• Find out more about the author Mohammad Al-Ubaydli: biography and writing.
• Buy the book