Last night I had a dream that I was at the hospital and they were short on doctors. It was a weird one with a couple random high school buddies I haven’t talked to in many years. One of my friends, who actually is a clinical psychologist in real life, threw me a white coat and said “It’s time for you to learn.” After a few minutes of being convinced that I can learn all of med school in a few weeks, I relented and accepted my fate to be an impromptu doctor.

Before anything exicting could happen, I woke up. But the crazy dream got me thinking...If I were a doctor, what would EHR software look like in my dream world? Or, thinking bigger, what would a comprehensive communication system look like with EHR rolled into it.

Ideally, a doctor should only have to deal with one device. Something small and portable, a tablet or a phone, should be able to perform all of the necessary functions. Zero typing required would make smaller devices very attractive. Massive workflow automation, data extrapolation, and a streamlined interface really would be a dream.

While mobile optimization is appealing, there surely are a few things that are better viewed and analyzed in more detail on a larger screen. High-quality imaging is a must! So a station for analysis is necessary, but wouldn't it be awesome if you could throw information from the mobile device to a desktop station based on proximity? Automatic authentication (log in by device recognition or device and biometrics, instead of typing) would make it even better!

All of the software should be integrated to work together seamlessly. Nobody is going to create an all-encompassing software system that maximizes everything. Some might have that ambition, but end up overreaching and creating a poorly developed product. If a few visionary organizations collaborate and create specialized, excellent software that can communicate and function seamlessly, we all benefit in the end.

Perhaps my becoming a doctor dream won’t come true, and that's probably good for everyone, but creating tools for doctors that they are excited to use is a reality that we are working (and dreaming) towards.