The American Medical Association published advice for new resident physicians using electronic health records on May 9.
Here's a summary of their five tips:
- Even if you had experience with electronic health records in medical school, you will likely use a different system in residency, so be open to a learning curve.
- Form consistent habits with how you use the system.
- Stay on top of your inbox and set aside time to respond to messages quickly so they don't pile up.
- Be sure to enter thorough notes and follow your own procedures to make sure you have all the information you need.
- Consider using dictation software if your system has it to help save some time and give your hands some rest from typing.