Consultation use of a computer by general practitioners.

Area of Science:

• Medical Informatics
• Human-Computer Interaction
• General Practice

Background:

• Electronic health records (EHRs) are increasingly integrated into clinical practice.
• Simultaneous patient and computer interaction presents unique challenges for healthcare providers.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate general practitioners' (GPs) experiences using computers during patient consultations.
• To analyze the impact of computer use on doctor-patient communication and information handling.
• To explore the relationship between GPs' consulting styles and their adoption of and views on EHR systems.

Main Methods:

• Experimental field study involving GPs.
• Analysis of computer usage logs.
• Video recordings of consultations.
• Semi-structured interviews with participating GPs.

Main Results:

• Uptake of computer facilities varied among GPs.
• Computer use impacted information flow and communication dynamics during consultations.
• GPs' natural consulting styles influenced their interaction with and perception of the EHR system.
• Doctors reported challenges in concurrently communicating with patients and the computer.

Conclusions:

• The integration of computers into consultations requires careful consideration of workflow and communication.
• Understanding the interplay between consulting style and technology adoption is crucial for successful EHR implementation.
• Further research is needed to optimize human-computer interaction in primary care settings.