Professionalism and the Electronic Health Record

Ho, Kimberly MD
Rahman, Ali BS
Dulas, Marissa BS
Choo, Zi-Yi BS
Lee, Wei Wei MD, MPH
Alcocer Alkureishi, Lolita MD

From Department of Internal Medicine, Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island (KH); University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois (AR); Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts (MD); Department of Dermatology, Pritzker School of Medicine, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois (ZC); Department of Medicine, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois (WWL); Department of Pediatrics, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois (LAA).

Disclosure: LAA received a grant from the Bucksbaum Institute for Clinical Excellence on adolescent opioid use and on occasion receives consulting fees for reviewing medical legal cases. The remaining authors have disclosed no potential conflicts of interest, financial or otherwise.

Address correspondence to Lolita Alcocer Alkureishi, MD, Department of Pediatrics, University of Chicago, 5841 South Maryland Avenue, MC 6082 Rm C124, Chicago, IL 60637; email: [email protected].

Pediatric Annals 53(12):p e458-e464, December 01, 2024. | DOI: 10.3928/19382359-20241003-07

Electronic health records (EHRs) have become integral to modern health care, facilitating documentation, billing, and care coordination. However, their increasing use introduces potential challenges to professionalism in the patient-physician relationship. This article explores both the positive and negative impacts of EHRs on professional behaviors, including empathy, communication, and efficiency. We discuss strategies to enhance professionalism in EHR use, with a focus on training and education for medical professionals. We also highlight the importance of patient engagement and shared decision-making in navigating the evolving digital landscape of health care. [Pediatr Ann. 2024;53(12):e458–e464.]