Electronic health records, the device paradigm, and the need for engagement

Abstract

In Technology and the Character of Contemporary Life, Albert Borgman puts forth the "device paradigm" as characteristic of the way we interact with the world in our technological society. He argues that devices, while liberating and disburdening us from some effort, also result in a lack of physical and social engagement. In this essay I apply Borgman's device paradigm to the electronic health record as an example of the device paradigm in healthcare, and argue that engagement and caring, two essential components of the doctor-patient relationship, are harmed by the EHR.

Keywords: Clinical skills; Doctor-patient relationship; Electronic health record (EHR); Philosophy; Technology.