Enhancing Patient-Centered Communication and Collaboration by Using the Electronic Health Record in the Examination Room

As widespread adoption of the electronic health record (EHR) takes place in US medical practice, many health care experts have emphasized the promising capabilities of the EHR to foster patient activation, which is a characteristic of patients who view themselves as active collaborators in their own health care management. It can also facilitate patient access to personal records, test results, health education tools, and tools for tracking and assessing the progress of chronic disease management. In addition to these features, new possibilities have arisen from innovative studies that enabled patients to read their physician notes online after the clinical encounter. After reviewing their visit notes, patients reported feeling more in control of their care. t the presence of a computer in the examination room and the pressure to document the visit in the EHR are often perceived as adversely affecting the patient-physician interaction. How can the EHR instead have a positive effect on this interaction and promote patient activation during the course of the outpatient visit? When clinicians invite patients to view the computer screen and parts of their electronic chart, it not only avoids uncomfortable periods of idle silence that sometimes accompany EHR-related tasks, but it may enhance the relational aspect of patient-physician communication in a way that fosters patient activation in real time.