NBC News reports physicians are leaving the profession in substantial numbers, citing overwork and the federally mandated electronic health records (EHRs). If you've noticed your medical provider doing more typing than diagnosing, you aren't imagining things. EHR is the reason.
This doesn't surprise me one bit. The DrsC have had entirely too many doctors bail out of being health providers. True, a couple died, but most did other things. One left private practice to work for a Boston-based insurance company, evaluating the reasonableness of claims. Another quit to become a "hospitalist" who just shows up, puts in his 8 hours and goes home. Yet another left the profession entirely, we suspect a psychotic break or chemical dependency.
Several retired early in disgust at EHR, another provider left private practice to work in our university's student health center for better hours and vacations. We've experienced churning (in CA but not in WY) and don't expect the turnover to stop. Not everything about modern life is an improvement over what went before.
