In a recent New York Times article, a trend was discussed that was taking doctors out of large clinics to smaller or even single-provider practices where they were able to control when and how they see their patients.

By stepping off the big-clinic treadmill, where doctors are sometimes asked to see a different patient every 15 minutes, Dr. Batlle has joined the vanguard of physicians trying to redefine health care. These doctors spend more time with patients, emphasize prevention and education to keep them healthy and can handle many medical problems without referrals to specialists.

Further into the article, the Dr. Batlle describes the medical office technology that he uses that helps him keep down his office costs by eliminating the need for paper charts and even an office staff member that spends their time setting appointments. None of the examples in the article are actually named, but it does explain that consultants are often used to identify the products that are right for their client practices.

At first, this seemed like another stimulus driven piece, but as I read it I realized that the current administration and the Recovery Act are minor players here. Even if there was no plan in place, this trend and the move to electronic medical records has been a long time coming, and something that experts in the field have been talking about for years.

If you read closely, you will see that the product that the doctors are talking about in the article are not your traditional EMR products that attempt to make a diagnosis based on screen after screen of check boxes and drop-downs. The products that are used in the articles seem to be focused on helping run the office itself, giving the doctor more time with the patients.

If you are currently in the market for an EMR product, talk to those companies that offer this type of product. If you are using a consultant to find the perfect technology for you, make sure they show you everything the market has to offer!