The study, published in the American Journal of Gastroenterology, found that a computer system was more effective when it came to collecting patient symptom information and producing complete, organized reports.
Patients were seen first by physicians, who recorded the patient’s symptom information into an EHR. The patients then answered questions on a website, which then used an algorithm to create a narrative from their answers.
A separate group of physicians, unaware of how the reports were generated, concluded the reports gathered by the computer were more comprehensive and succinct.
The researchers suggested that computers could enhance physician care, rather than supplanting it. “Our results suggest that computers can help clinicians focus on what they do best, practicing the distinctly human art of medicine. This study offers initial proof that a computer can create meaningful and relevant patient histories that are useful in a clinical setting,” said study author Brennan Spiegel, MD.
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