Diagnosis And Treatment Of “Epic Finger”

The following is a summary of an “academic” paper written by Andrew P. Ross, M.D., an emergency physician practicing in Savannah, GA. In the paper, Dr. Ross vents about the state of physician EMR issues and repetitive EMR clicking (in quite witty fashion!). Rather than try and elaborate on what he’s said so well, I leave you with his thoughts.

At long last, medical science has identified a subtle but dangerous condition which could harm generations of clinicians. A paper appearing in the Annals of Emergency Medicine this month has described and listed treatment options for “Epic finger,” an occupational injury similar to black lung, phossy jaw and miner’s nystagmus.

Article author Andrew Ross, MD, describes Epic finger, otherwise known as “Ross’s finger” or “the furious finger of clerical rage,” as a progressive repetitive use injury. Symptoms of Epic finger can include chronic-appearing tender and raised deformities, which may be followed by crepitus and locking of the finger. The joint may become enlarged and erythematous, resembling “a boa constrictor after it has eaten a small woodland mammal.”

Patients with Epic finger may experience severe psychiatric and comorbid conditions. Physical complications may include the inability to hail a cab with one’s finger extended, play a musical instrument or hold a pen due to intractable pain.  Meanwhile, job performance may suffer due to the inability to conduct standard tests such as the digital rectal exam and percussion of the abdomen, leading in turn to depression, unhappiness and increased physician burnout.

Dr. Ross notes that plain film imaging may show findings consistent with osteoarthritic changes of the joint space, and that blood work may show a mild leukocytosis and increased nonspecific markers of inflammation. Ultimately, however, this elusive yet disabling condition must be identified by the treating professional.

To treat Epic finger, Dr. Ross recommends anti-inflammatory medication, aluminum finger splinting and massage, as well as “an unwavering faith in the decency of humanity.”  But ultimately, to reverse this condition more is called for, including a sabbatical “in some magnificent locale with terrible wi-fi and a manageable patient load.”

Having identified the syndrome, Dr. Ross calls for recognition of this condition in the ICD-10 manual. Such recognition would help clinicians win acceptance of such a sabbatical by employers and obtain health and disability insurance coverage for treatment, he notes. In his view, the code for Epic finger would fit well in between “sucked into jet engine, subsequent encounter,” “burn due to water skis on fire” and “dependence on enabling machines and devices, not elsewhere classified.”

Meanwhile, hospitals can do their part by training patients to recognize when their healthcare providers are suffering from Epic finger. Patients can “provide appropriate and timely warnings to hospital administrators through critical Press Ganey patient satisfaction scorecards.”

Unfortunately, the prognosis for patients with Epic finger can be poor if it remains untreated. However, if the condition is recognized promptly, treated early, and bundled with time spent in actual patient care, the author believes that this condition can be reversed and perhaps even cured.

To accomplish this result, clinicians need to stand up for themselves, he suggests: “We as a profession need to recognize this condition as an occult manifestation of our own professional malaise,” he writes. “We must heal ourselves to heal others.”

About the author

Anne Zieger

Anne Zieger is a healthcare journalist who has written about the industry for 30 years. Her work has appeared in all of the leading healthcare industry publications, and she's served as editor in chief of several healthcare B2B sites.

   

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