Leaving Paper Records Behind: A Cultural Shift

As more clinicians move to a paperless environment, they are also finding that the efficiency of digital information saves them time, as Brita Kipper, RN, a nurse clinician with American Family Children’s Hospital, tells us:

In my own work in usability and content development, this clip leads me to wonder if clinicians have the same nostalgic relationship with paper records than say, book readers. As the Kindle, iPad and e-readers are becoming daily habits for many people, there are still many readers who lament the diminishing role of the paper book, citing a very close bond to the paper: the feel, the smell, and the weight in the hand of an actual object.

Is it possible that clinicians feel the same way about paper patient records, charts and clipboards full of notes?

If you are a clinician, I’d like to hear from you on your thoughts about you relationship to paper. If you have already abandoned it, also tell us if you miss it in any particular way.