Experienced physicians generally have an established level of comfort with patient interaction in the examination room.  Some find it awkward to consider using another means of documenting the visit, for fear of alienating the patient.  Younger physicians are typically more comfortable with computer interaction.

There's really nothing new in the patient perception about this issue. Most people are enormously tolerant of the processes involved in medical practice.  They are inspected inside and out, poked with needles and other devices, endure the injection and withdrawal of fluids from their bodies, and are often deprived clothing.  Knowing all this, some practitioners still object to a computer in the examination room, because it might offend the patient!   Computers and electronic data systems are ubiquitous in everyday life.   Patients who are ignored, or alienated from the clinical process, will most likely be upset at the practitioner who is not paying attention to their needs.  

A recent family practice management journal article pointed out that since patients do not have objective measures of practitioner quality, many use surrogate markers to choose between practices.  Staff friendliness, on-time and available appointments, and facility cleanliness and efficiency are examples of these markers. At the Ulrich Medical Clinic, patient response to the Team Chart Concept has been universally favorable with many new patients joining our practice because we have a modern system.  People now have a new way of evaluating the quality of a medical practice that allows them to participate directly in their care.  When they see that the practitioner and the technology are working together for their benefit, they become the strongest proponents for this technology.

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