07/18/2022    Devin Poonai, DPM

Podiatric EMR for Dummies (Patrick Caputo, DPM)

I joined a private practice after finishing
residency 7 years ago. So I am relatively young in
age & experience. I do not use any EMR/EHR.
For the first 6 months, I used a pen & paper
templates. Then I created Microsoft Word templates
& have been using them & printing notes and placing
in paper charts since. I take the MIPS/QIP/etc.…
hits from insurances, have cases of printer paper
in the stock room, have cabinets of paper charts,
boxes of new manila folders waiting to be used, and
could not be happier. My notes are not the canned,
generated generic notes I get from so many other
doctors/nurses.

“neck supple, trachea midline, no RRR, normal
S1/S2, no bowel distension, AAOX3, sclera non-
icteric, no jaundice, normo-cephalic, no
Babinski sign”

Give me a break. I throw those notes out when they
come in. In 5 pages of Oxford University level
punctuated sentences & exemplary grammar, there is
half a sentence “lt big toe ingrown nail – refer
podiatry” or “R heel pain, platnar fascia-itis –
pod referral” Exact quotes from MD/DO, including
the spelling and grammar.

To all who like their EMR/EHR and are proficient
and efficient and quick, congrats. Yes, I spend on
supplies to maintain and create paper charts.
Maybe you spend less on all your monthly/yearly
EMH/EHR fees. And yes what almost every doctor
tells me “oh what if your charts go up in
flames?!?!” I do consider. But I have gotten
tremendous feedback on my notes like what Dr.
Patrick Caputo mentioned. I can complete a
at-risk-foot-care note in under 1 minute, compliant
with all Medicare rules. My E&M notes are
relevant, pointed, and descriptive.

I’m not criticizing those who use EMR/EHR, but
paper isn’t really all that bad. At this point, I
will not spend on software or even try to learn
one. I’ll retire or the practice will get bought
out first.

Devin Poonai, DPM, North Brunswick, NJ

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