(ENG 810, Writing 3 based on unit 7)

Write about unexpected consequences

There was a change at the hospital system in my city. The hospital switched
over to electronic records. This new system has some positive and negative
unexpected consequences.

Electronic records made it easier to communicate with other hospitals.

No paper is being used now because everything is on the computer. These
records allow both doctors and nurses to work more quickly. They can see
all notes about a patient in one place. There are no paper folders to find
information anymore. The new system is very helpful with the patient’s
medication.

But the change to electronic records had some negative consequences.

Nurses needed extra time to learn the system. They must work extra time
to finish the electronic records every day. It is possible to make new kinds
of mistakes with this system. If a nurse opens two patients charts at the
same time, she can write a patient’s note on the wrong chart.

I think this new system is much better than the old one. It saves time and
effort to doctors and nurses. It saves time to patients as well.