PRACTICE PARTNER
A
n electronic medical record
(EMR) has tremendous potential
to help physicians track patient
data trends, identify individu-
als due for testing or in need of follow-up
care for chronic conditions. And it can save
considerable time compared to a paper-based
practice.
But EMRs, like any technology, can
overwhelm the neophyte, especially one who
does not view themselves as computer liter-
ate. It takes time and commitment for their
uses to be fully understood and optimized.
Making that task much easier for clinicians
are Peer Leaders – physicians identified by
OntarioMD as advanced EMR users who
have developed the expertise and best prac-
tices to share with their peers who are new to
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DIALOGUE ISSUE 3, 2017
the world of EMRs.
“I believe there is tremendous untapped
wisdom and clinical, specialty-specific help
that Peer Leaders can provide to special-
ists who use EMRs,” says Dr. Eoin Lalor, a
gastroenterologist in Barrie, who has worked
with Dr. Ilana Halperin, a Toronto endocri-
nologist and a Peer Leader. “Several of her
suggestions have dramatically improved my
efficiency and satisfaction with my EMR.”
In 2007, fewer than 1,000 Ontario family
physicians were connected to EMR. Fast
forward a decade, and more than 14,000
community-based family doctors and
specialists now use EMRs in their practice –
moving Ontario from the lowest provincial
EMR adoption number to the highest in
that time span. In fact, Ontario has more
Mentoring Physicians to Optimize
Electronic Medical Record Use