Description:

The Master of Arts in Medical Humanities & Bioethics

presents

A Montgomery Lecture

Beyond Chart Stalking:
The Ethics of Tracking Former Patients in the EHR for Medical Education

In contemporary medical education, shorter lengths of stay and time-limited clerkships often interrupt a student's relationship with a patient before the diagnosis is made or treatment is completed, limiting the learning experience. One educator compares it to reading the first few chapters of a book without reading the ending. To overcome these limitations, medical students often use EHRs to track former patients. While the value of longitudinal follow up for educational purposes seems clear, there are privacy concerns that need to be addressed to maintain patient trust. In talk will address the ethical issues surrounding the action of tracking former patients and review a framework for performing this action in an ethically appropriate manner.

Greg Brisson, MD
Clinical Assistant Professor of Medicine
Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine