One of the most famous examples of the law of unintended consequences is Kudzu. Introduced to the United States in 1876, the plant was originally intended as erosion control. Currently spreading at a rate of 150,000 acres per year, the plant will overtake everything in its path when left unchecked.

What are the unintended consequences created by your EMR implementation? EMR systems were intended to function as a clinical application that would replace the traditional paper chart with an electronic record that was more readily accessible, searchable, and shareable. As users began to input data into the EMR, administrators noticed all of the information necessary for billing could be captured from the EMR. When physicians use EMR templates to build charge information in their EMR, charge data can be passed directly to the PM system for billing. This could save a practice time on charge entry and eliminate the paper superbill! This is where the problem began.

"Mind the gap" is a warning for passengers to take caution while crossing the gap between the train door and the railway platform. Introduced in 1969 on the London Underground, this warning also serves physician practices well as they pursue the important goal of implementing an electronic medical record (EMR).