Computerized Health Records Breed Digital Discontent For Some Doctors

Two years and $8.4 billion into the government's effort to get doctors to take their practices digital, some unintended consequences are starting to emerge. One is a lot of unhappy doctors.

In a big survey by Medscape, an online site for doctors, 38 percent of the doctors polled said they were unhappy with their electronic medical records system. But some doctors are discovering at least one unintended consequence that's positive for them: Electronic records flag every possible opportunity to send a bill. Doctors say digital systems are opening their eyes to how much they've been doing and not getting paid for. Medicare sees that differently and is now looking into whether physicians with computerized records systems might be charging too much. Doctors say it should be no surprise that systems designed to catch things like medication errors are also catching missed opportunities to get paid.