The day the electronic medical records system went down (29 April 2024)

Summary

Sofia Mettler, MD, describes the day when the electronic medical records (EMR) system at her hospital failed and the impact this had on clinical decision making. She highlights that the downtime forced doctors across the hospital to speak with patients about their condition and symptoms, and to collaborate with the nurses who had been monitoring them all night. It also made her realise that the many test results she was used to referencing for every patient were not all necessary to make clinical decisions. She reflects, "The EMR downtime made me realise that while the system seems to make our clinical routine convenient, it may not result in increased efficiency or better patient care."