{"id":"c61085d0-0569-4b74-a2e8-cb42e84e73f8","slug":"electronic-medical-records-increasingly-take-thinking-away-from-spine-surgery","title":"Electronic medical records increasingly take thinking away from spine surgery","authors":["Nancy E. Epstein"],"abstract":"Background: The electronic medical record (EMR) is increasingly impacting the practice of spine surgery by reducing the necessity for critical thinking among surgeons. This shift has led to a reliance on automated processes that can propagate errors in patient charts, potentially resulting in serious surgical mistakes. The editorial discusses the implications of these changes on patient safety and the quality of care. Summary: The editorial highlights how the EMR's automatic population of notes can lead to uncorrected mistakes, missed diagnoses, and a lack of meaningful communication between spine surgeons and radiologists. It emphasizes the importance of direct dialogue in refining diagnoses and ensuring appropriate surgical interventions. Furthermore, templated operative notes may fail to accurately reflect the actual procedures performed during surgery. Conclusion: The author calls for a reevaluation of the role of EMRs in spine surgery, advocating for a return to more engaged and thoughtful practices among surgeons. The editorial suggests that without addressing these issues, patient safety may continue to be compromised, and the art of surgical thinking may be lost. Keywords: electronic medical records, spine surgery, patient safety, surgical errors, communication, diagnosis, templated notes","thumbnailUrl":"https://sni-digital-videos.s3.amazonaws.com/placeholders/specialty/socio-economics-politics-and-medicine.png","publishDate":"2022-03-18T00:00:00.000Z","doi":"10.25259/SNI_163_2022","categories":["Socio-Economics, Politics, and Medicine","Editorial"],"fullTextUrl":"https://surgicalneurologyint.com/api/articles/c61085d0-0569-4b74-a2e8-cb42e84e73f8/pdf"}