The author also explains that the data stored in the system can be used to help public health officials identify medical issues facing the community as well as track various trends from the community and public health perspectives. Article Relevance

(How does this article relate to you as doctor?)

As a physician, I recognize that my time will be in very short supply. Therefore, any system or resource capable of saving time and increasing the efficiency of the healthcare services that I provide will be greatly appreciated. Similarly, patient safety, elimination of medical errors, and patient outcome are always paramount concerns for any physician. Therefore, I would welcome the opportunity to use EHR systems to the extent they address those issues positively....

Moreover, as a physician, I am always interested in any approach that might be beneficial to human welfare and community and public health issues. According to the article, the data maintained within EHR systems lends itself to applications that are useful for tracking diseases and other health-related trends. That would be a particularly valuable aspect of EHR systems in my opinion. Based on the article, it seems that EHR systems may take a while before their adoption becomes widespread, but once that is accomplished, they will probably eventually become the industry standard and replace traditional methods of healthcare record keeping much the way computers have replaced analog systems more generally throughout society in general as well as within healthcare in particular.