Well, Bert, you are 100% spot on it is a work flow issue. If there had been a magic button for this, then the "walk right in and start using it.. it's that intuitive" statement would have applied to us. I guess I would not care, except I burn up so much time waiting for tasks to get done that previously would have been done by others while I was on to using my physician skills elsewhere.
The more I think of it, the more I see the issue as that doing things electronically takes much more time than expected, and does not allow multitasking. You have an image in your head that you are going to be able to hit the "enter" button and.. zap... it is done, but in reality there are delays at every step. If I could select CBC/Chem Profile/Lipids/Hepatitis profile, hit "go" and segue immediately to writing a prescription mix of controlled/uncontrolled substances, then immediately to ordering an ultrasound without waiting for tasks to finish that would be one thing. In One database I work with, these would be done as separate "processes" that work independently. But, each step in each multi-step process in AC takes a few to perhaps 15 seconds if there is congestion, and they add up without releasing you to go to the next step. We have multiple printers, but putting one in each room would further strain the network, as they would have to be wireless and there are 7 exam rooms, and really don't solve the central issue that a lot of doctor time is eaten up waiting for the printer to spool.
We have the same number of employees as before. They just do different tasks.
On a frustrating day, like last Thursday when the system crashed and all servers and workstations had to be rebooted (did you ever time just how long that actually takes? It was more than one patient visit time slot) we really do wonder if going electronic was worth it. I keep hoping for the epiphany that makes it all worthwhile.
