In my office, we see three or four patients an hour. I'm on the phone talking to the insurance companies, talking to the nurses. I've got to enter so much into the charts. You wind up merging a lot of your letters. It's hard to slow down.
Patience is important.
Both Muller and Hackmeyer see the benefits of electronic prescribing systems, but neither expects his hospital to convert soon. We're trying to move from the paper world to the electronic world, Hackmeyer said, noting an increasing use of electronics and Palm Pilots among some members of his staff. But, he underscored, even at a world-famous hospital, money for capital improvements does not come easily. Yes, a machine is less likely to make careless errors or misread handwriting. Yes, but a pharmacist should also be present to answer questions.