Paging Dr. Dilbert  I always thought being a doctor I’d be free
from cubicle life.  Not so.  Our medical center spent more than
sixty million dollars over the last six years to upgrade the
computer system we use.  It’s a system we use for just about
everything.  With it, we can admit and discharge patients, write
orders for the tests and medications they need while they’re in
the hospital, and even do most of the documentation and charting
for their stay. (Interestingly, though nurses, therapists, and
virtually everyone else uses the computer for charting, we
doctors still handwrite our progress notes and put them in a
paper chart.)  I’m no Luddite, and generally I’ve been happy
with the transformation of our systems.  The upgrade is in line
with the federal government’s push to digitize all things
medical to improve efficiency, safety, and ideally, lower health
care costs. Medicine is finally moving (like most other
industries before it) into the 21st century.  Be careful what
you wish for.  Mandates bring a