Use of Computer-Based Patient Records in Dietetics Supervised Practice Programs

Abstract

The move to computer-based patient records has been underway since 1991 when the Institute of Medicine (1) recommended adoption of this format as the standard for medical and all other records related to patient care. There is a body of literature about use of computer-based patient records by physicians and allied health professionals (2–10). However, the need for an electronic record format in the area of dietetics, and the experiences of dietitians who currently use this format, have been reported to a lesser extent (11–14). In 1997, Biesemeier and Chima (15) indicated that 15% of the dietitians they surveyed were documenting nutrition care in a computerized patient record. Technological, organizational, and behavioral barriers to the use of computer-based patient records by health professionals and solutions for overcoming these barriers have also been reported (16–22). Although this technology is the wave of the future, Gilmore et al (23) found that computer communication was among the competencies entry-level dietitians stated as least likely to be taught in their educational programs.