How the Electronic Health Record Can Reveal Unconscious Racism
Every click you make, it is watching you…
When I close my eyes and imagine what it is I do for a living, I see a computer screen.
I mean, yes, I’m primarily a clinical researcher so much of what I do is looking at statistical software, or, more recently, writing grant applications. But even when I think of my clinical duties, I see that computer screen.
The reason? The electronic health record — the hot beating heart of medical care in the modern era. Our most powerful tool and our greatest enemy.
The EHR records everything — not just the vital signs and lab values of our patients. Not just our notes and billing codes. Everything — every interaction we have is tracked and can be analyzed. The EHR is basically Sting in “Every Breath You Take”. Every click you make it is watching you.
Researchers are leveraging that panopticon to give insight into something we don’t talk about frequently, the issue of racial bias in medicine. Is our true nature revealed by our interactions with the electronic health record?
