Health IT Success Stories

Dr. Smith Talks About How EHRs Aids in Work Life Balance

'I Can Balance Work and Family.' – Dr. Karen A. Smith, M.D., FAAFP

"I Can Balance Work and Family"

A physician since 1989, Dr. Karen Smith runs a one-physician family medicine practice in Raeford, NC. She credits her use of an electronic health record (EHR) system with allowing her to deliver quality care in a rural setting – and to do it so efficiently that she can still has time to be a wife and mother. Here is Dr. Smith's story.

I'm a family physician in a very rural, very small community – Raeford, NC. We're part of Hoke County, which has only five practicing physicians. I have about 4,000 active patients myself. Having an EHR system that's organized and easily accessible at any time of the day or the night is a major benefit for rural physicians. I couldn't do my job without it.

Before I used an EHR, I was staying at the office until 11:30 p.m. every Monday night, guaranteed. I have four kids at home, and I felt like my husband was raising the children by himself. I said, “Something has to happen here.” I can still remember the date that my practice decided to use an EHR system – it was April 1, 2003. These days, when I get home in the evening, my husband and I can take a walk together at 6 p.m. I've done most of my work before I leave the office.

EHR System Aids with Work-Life Balance

With an EHR system, I'm able to practice and not get burned out. I can review 50 labs on a Saturday while I'm doing the laundry. I review my labs online, and if I find someone who needs to go to the hospital right away, I pick up the phone and call them. If it's a problem that we need to address within 48 hours, I'll put an alert message on my system, so that the person automatically gets a telephone call or an email. The message will say that I've already scheduled an appointment for them on Monday. And Monday afternoon, that patient will be sitting in my office. So people are getting the services they need, with a much faster turnaround.

Improving Quality Care

For me, the number one benefit of switching to an EHR has been improving the quality of care. I can now pay more attention to the patient as a person, because I'm spending less time trying to document the visit and write everything down. Having an EHR has brought me closer to my patients. They love to email me. They love that type of communication. The second major benefit has been efficiency. We've been able to modify the office's workflow so that we're able to see more people in the same amount of time. My practice's EHR system has also enabled us to achieve National Committee for Quality Assurance recognition as Patient Centered Medical Home, as well as heart and stroke recognition.

Sometimes, being more efficient and providing better care turns out to be the same thing. When I started practicing in this county, I would sometimes receive a call from the emergency room that a patient of mine had been admitted with chest pain, and the doctor there needed the patient's latest EKG. I'd have to leave my home, drive 11 miles, get the EKG, and fax it over to the hospital. That would take about 30 minutes, while my patient might be having an active heart attack. Now, when the emergency room calls me up, I open up the EHR system on my computer, I click a button, and the hospital gets the EKG within a minute.

Giving the Best Care, in the Office or on the Road

I practice family medicine, and I'm very involved in working with the American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP) to improve health care in my specialty. I wouldn't be able to travel out of state to attend AAFP meetings without using an EHR system. Once I was in Colorado, and I was reviewing reports online on a Sunday morning. A physician happened to be discharging a patient of mine from the hospital. As soon as he completed his discharge report, it went directly to my system. I read it while the doctor was doing his rounds at the hospital, and I was able to get him on the phone before he left. I told him, “I know this person very well, and he's not going to be compliant with what you've advised.” The doctor was able to modify his discharge plan. It was 9 a.m. for him in North Carolina, and 7 a.m. for me in Denver. And despite the hour and the distance, we could still have that level of communication.

As physicians, we're under such pressure, not only from our patient population but also from our personal lives and our families. With an EHR, I'm able to take care of more patients than I had previously been able to, and not diminish the quality of care for those patients. And I can still live a balanced lifestyle.

Dr. Smith is recognized by ONC as a “MUVer”a member of the Meaningful Use Vanguard, a group of local leaders and advisors in the nation’s transition toward an electronically enabled health care system. She is featured in ONC’s series of print ads highlighting key MUVers who have adopted certified EHR technology.