Physician, Steel Thyself for Electronic Records

[Commentary] The electronic medical record, or EMR, is a computerized system that allows physicians to record patient information electronically instead of using paper records. Test results can be reviewed through the system, and prescriptions can be emailed straight to the pharmacy. You can order medical tests and medications worth thousands of dollars with just a few mouse clicks. As stipulated by ObamaCare, Medicare and Medicaid have enthusiastically embraced the concept of a paperless world. Doctors who adopt these programs in a "meaningful" way (more on that later) will be rewarded to the tune of up to $44,000 over five years. For those doctors who say no thanks, reductions in their Medicare payments for service will start in 2015. So, excuse me if, like a teenager transfixed by her smartphone, my eyes are glued to my screen at your next visit with me. I am truly listening to you. It's just that eye contact has no place in the Land of Meaningful Use.

[Dr. Valinoti is an internist in private practice in Bergen County, NJ]