Doctors' use of computers during appointments leaves patients less satisfied

Doctors who entered data into computerized health records during patients' appointments did less positive communicating, and patients rated their care excellent less often, in a recent study. "Many clinicians worry that electronic health records keep them from connecting with their patients," said Dr. Neda Ratanawongsa of the University of California, San Francisco, who co-authored the research letter. "So it's not surprising that we found differences in the way clinicians and patients talk to each other," she said. But doctors who used the computer more also spent more time correcting or disagreeing with patients, she told Reuters Health by email.