The Bureacracy of Medicine
When I donned my now-no-longer-crisp white coat for my third year wards at the beginning of this academic year, I had no idea being a doctor meant so much paperwork involved. With the emerging electronic records systems slowly being implemented in the hospitals, one would imagine that the problems and wasted time spent in clerical work would be streamlined. From what I have seen, this is definitely not the case.
Whilst rushing in between patient rooms to provide care, the interns and residents are seemingly overwhelmed by the necessary paperwork that only grows despite their attempts to thin out the workload. It's been more than one occasion that I've seen the interns stay late to finish up all the spillover that had piled up throughout the day. Instead of having everything on electronic files, the current system involves traditional paperwork that also needs to be dictated electronically and verbally. to be logged in the electronic system. When the patient is discharged, his/her paper records are sent to Medical Records and are scanned to uploaded and added to his/her electronic portfolio to render it complete. However, this process can take up to months due to the backlog, and this itself can incur problems when these patients are readmitted.
In other words, all of additional work in the name of technological efficiency has been funneled to the already burnt out and overworked population of interns and residents. All these layers of paperwork, electronic record, verbal and written dictations - all in place to cover our metaphorical behinds. It seems counterintuitive that the bureaucracy and logistical sides of medicine have taken the driving seat of medicine. Instead of taking care of patients while ensuring personal self care needs are met, the rising physician of the twenty-first century must now juggle the impossible tasks of effective patient care, self preservation, and the legal demand of the electronic medical records. It is little wonder to me that increasingly, physicians-in-training suffer from burnout and depression. The most rewarding aspect of medicine - interacting with patients and engaging in intellectual discussion as a medical team - has disappointingly taken the backseat of medical priorities in lieu of being legally sound. At the end of this, it is the patient that suffers with prolonged care, delayed interactions, increased complications, patient dissatisfaction, etc. Unfortunately, it seems that we are forced between a rock and a hard place as physicians-in-training unable to appease both sides. Even with the understanding of the current system's inefficiency, there is little we can do to change its modus operandi. It's frustrating, and it seems like such an easy transition that we just have to hop over.
Medicine is, oddly, a very traditional institution despite the readily changing face of its practice due to the emergence of new technology and diagnostic prowess. Adaptive change is being implemented to ensure physicians can maximize their time and effectively work with the maximum number of patients. Unfortunately, as part of this transition, it seems that we have been bogged down by the logistical necessities. Perhaps, this shall pass soon, and a new era of patient-efficient, physician-protecting medicine will emerge from this chaos so that when this generation of fresh medical students earn their badges of practice, we will be free from the shackles of redundant logistical demands. But for now, I shall continue to strive to serve as a sort of overflow outlet for our overworked medical staff and contribute as a part of this Goliath of the Medicine System.
Whilst rushing in between patient rooms to provide care, the interns and residents are seemingly overwhelmed by the necessary paperwork that only grows despite their attempts to thin out the workload. It's been more than one occasion that I've seen the interns stay late to finish up all the spillover that had piled up throughout the day. Instead of having everything on electronic files, the current system involves traditional paperwork that also needs to be dictated electronically and verbally. to be logged in the electronic system. When the patient is discharged, his/her paper records are sent to Medical Records and are scanned to uploaded and added to his/her electronic portfolio to render it complete. However, this process can take up to months due to the backlog, and this itself can incur problems when these patients are readmitted.
In other words, all of additional work in the name of technological efficiency has been funneled to the already burnt out and overworked population of interns and residents. All these layers of paperwork, electronic record, verbal and written dictations - all in place to cover our metaphorical behinds. It seems counterintuitive that the bureaucracy and logistical sides of medicine have taken the driving seat of medicine. Instead of taking care of patients while ensuring personal self care needs are met, the rising physician of the twenty-first century must now juggle the impossible tasks of effective patient care, self preservation, and the legal demand of the electronic medical records. It is little wonder to me that increasingly, physicians-in-training suffer from burnout and depression. The most rewarding aspect of medicine - interacting with patients and engaging in intellectual discussion as a medical team - has disappointingly taken the backseat of medical priorities in lieu of being legally sound. At the end of this, it is the patient that suffers with prolonged care, delayed interactions, increased complications, patient dissatisfaction, etc. Unfortunately, it seems that we are forced between a rock and a hard place as physicians-in-training unable to appease both sides. Even with the understanding of the current system's inefficiency, there is little we can do to change its modus operandi. It's frustrating, and it seems like such an easy transition that we just have to hop over.
Medicine is, oddly, a very traditional institution despite the readily changing face of its practice due to the emergence of new technology and diagnostic prowess. Adaptive change is being implemented to ensure physicians can maximize their time and effectively work with the maximum number of patients. Unfortunately, as part of this transition, it seems that we have been bogged down by the logistical necessities. Perhaps, this shall pass soon, and a new era of patient-efficient, physician-protecting medicine will emerge from this chaos so that when this generation of fresh medical students earn their badges of practice, we will be free from the shackles of redundant logistical demands. But for now, I shall continue to strive to serve as a sort of overflow outlet for our overworked medical staff and contribute as a part of this Goliath of the Medicine System.
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