The Electronic Health Record System May Destroy The Empathy

IntroductionThe rapid growth of the Electronic Health Record (HER) systems has affected our understanding of the EHR while still providing compassionate health care and optimizing patient-physician communication. Empathy as a core component of this communication has been connected to other interpersonal interaction indicators such as trust and patient satisfaction.The vulnerable situation of patients with hematologic malignancies necessitates effective empathetic interaction with full attention from the physicians and those working in oncology wards. Methods and materialsPatients were enlisted from the Hematology-oncology ward and Clinic. (either new referrals or follow-ups). 120 patients were stratified into two arms of the study asking them to observe short videos and complete the questionnaire regarding the physicians: one uses an Electronic Health Record system and another consults the patient without an Exam Room Computer. patients were asked to state the level of their agreement or disagreement with each of the statements of the Persian translation of the Jefferson Scale of Patient Perceptions of Physician Empathy (JSPPPE) questionnaire. ResultsPatients viewed the EHR(#1) and No Computer (#2) videos for a crossed-over clinical trial. The No Computer visit resulted in significantly better empathy scores compared with the EHR visit. ConclusionBased on the results of this study, The Empathy phenomenon at its core will never change (48,49)but has various facets that are progressively being understood. we continue to advance technological devices to improve the foundation of patient care and outcomes. If medical care trends in The triumphs of technology, especially in hematooncological clinics, continue as expected, empathy will become an even more critical issue.