How Do Doctors Use Computers?

The increasing population levels in the United States and around the world means that doctors have more patients than ever before. The advances in technology, such as the use of computers, fortunately allow doctors to handle larger workloads and accommodate the increased need for their services.

Logging and Analysis

• When a patient is admitted to a clinic or hospital for any reason, the clinic or hospital staff takes a medical history from the patient and verifies information related to insurance and contact. This information is then entered into the clinic or hospital's computer system for easy retrieval. The doctor can log new information about the patient into the computerized patient file and then pull up that file again as needed for case assessment and review. In some cases, computers are in the exam rooms, and the doctor pulls up the file electronically to discuss it with the patient.

Transfer

• In some cases, patients may need to have their medical records transferred to another clinic or hospital. In these cases, doctors can use computers to send the records as a pdf or another file type, or, if both clinics and hospitals have a linked system because they are in network, the doctor can authorize access to the patient data through the system.

Diagnostics

• Doctors who work in laboratory settings frequently come across diseases and harmful agents that are difficult to diagnose. Doctors can set parameters in computer databases to assist them in diagnosing a condition that is rarely seen.

Research

• In addition to diagnostics, doctors use computers to conduct research on a patient's conditions or continue their own education. For instance, doctors can go to medical journal databases online to find out about ground-breaking research for a particular disease, or they can find general articles from reputable online sources that can be printed out as a patient resource.

Online Communication

• Some hospitals and clinics have realized that online communications are increasingly common among patients. Thus, some doctors started to use online communication systems designed specifically for the interaction of doctors and their patients. For instance, systems such as MyChart allow patients to send electronic messages to their doctor so they can ask questions or even schedule an appointment. These systems are convenient, because they are secure and do not require the exchange of e-mail addresses.

Prescription Filling

• Doctors communicate with pharmacies through computer systems to have prescriptions filled. The doctor can log into the computer system, enter the patient's information, drug information and authorization information, and then send a request to the pharmacist through the computer. This is convenient, because the patient does not need to worry about the loss of the prescription slip and the pharmacist can more easily read the electronic request.