Rediscovering this article Judge: 84-year-old doctor who doesn’t use computer can’t regain license left me a) wondering if Dr. Anna Konopka is still alive (a quick Google search produced no updates) b) reminded me of Dr. Seth Hazlitt, the fictional character from Murder She Wrote. In all seriousness, I too found myself agreeing with the judge on the case. What won me toward his decision was “It said her limited computer skills prevent her from using the state’s mandatory electronic drug monitoring program, which requires prescribers of opioids to register in an effort to reduce overdoses.” In my position as a clinical therapist, I find it important to see what medication a patient has been prescribed and how much. I also find it vital to send a secure message through email, and hope for a timely response. Without a computer these two things are not possible. I worry about penmanship and pt receiving the wrong dx of medication, or discharge directions. I also found myself concerned about patient privacy, as the article states Konopka does not keep a computer in her office. Most of her patient records are in the filing cabinets in her consultation room, which adjoins her examining room, and a fax machine near her examining table.
