Implementing EMRs: Learnings from a video ethnography

Abstract

This yearlong video ethnography of a healthcare clinic that transitioned from a paper process to a scanning solution documents in detail how the new technology impacted different groups in the clinic. While the scanning solution reduced the retrieving, filing, and paper-processing work for the Medical Record clerks, the ethnographic analysis showed that it also eliminated some of that work's tangible benefits for providers. Ultimately, the scanning solution resulted in a shift in the division of labor in the clinic from Medical Records to the healthcare providers who were burdened with additional administrative tasks. Indeed, the scanning technology did not make the clinic more efficient overall, as the number of patient visits per day remained the same.

The Stakes of Uncertainty: Developing and Integrating Machine Learning in Clinical Care

“…4. See also previous older work from EPIC 2012 about the implications of implementing EMRs for divisions of labor within clinical settings (Vinkhuyzen, Plurkowski, and David 2012).…”