Remember this always and with every patient encounter.
The patient never came to see the stiff ware encased in the EHR.
Your healing codes were never
Written in bits and bytes.
Your language has never been binary,
It has always been rich and extraordinary.
Remember who you are.
You are the true software.
You are more than a doctor.
You are a healer filled with dignity and kindness.
Your software is a heart unmatched,
A brain that cannot be replaced by AI.
For your operating systems are not filled
with ones and zeros.
Your operating systems are built on the rich
Tapestry of love and empathy and compassion.
A software language seeped in intermingled nerves and nano amounts of neurotransmitters.
A software language beautifully arranged with unimaginable grandeur and complexity.
You are beautifully created.
You are not the stiff ware labelled EHR
Turn around. Face your patient
Listen quietly.
Listen to really listen,
Listen to understand and be mindful
Of every complaint whether they be shallow or deep
Be in attendance.
Be present.
Palpate and marvel in every pulse, every breath sound.
You have 10 to 20 minutes. Use it.
Relegate the stiff ware to the minor leagues.
You are a major player in these healing arts
Remember who you are – the true software.
Kwabena O.M. Adubofour, MD, FACP
Daily Dose of Humanities 