Reflections on electronic medical records: When doctors will use them and when they will not

Abstract Purpose Our purpose is to counter the common wisdom that doctors are refractory to change and therefore responsible for the limited use of electronic medical records. Methods We draw on experience with electronic medical records in two Harvard Medical School teaching hospitals dating back to the early 1980s. Results Doctors quickly become ardent users of electronic medical records if the software is sufficiently helpful in the care of their patients. Conclusions The key to enthusiastic acceptance of electronic medical records is computing that is easy to use and helpful to doctors, nurses, and other clinicians in the care of their patients.