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EHR dissatisfaction has proven to be a leading cause of physician burnout. Find out why EHRs are making their jobs harder, not easier, and what to do about it.
Physicians often struggle with how to make electronic health record (EHR) platforms work for them. This technology should offer them more flexibility and efficiency, but it often comes up short. Now, there have been several studies linking EHR dissatisfaction with physician burnout. Why are EHRs making physician workflows harder, not easier?
STUDIES LINK EHR DISSATISFACTION AND PHYSICIAN BURNOUT
EHRs aren’t getting much praise from physicians. A study published by the Mayo Clinic in partnership with the American Medical Association (AMA) found that how well doctors rate the usability of their EHR was independently associated with the odds of burnout.
This research supports the link between EHR dissatisfaction and physician burnout, as doctors continue to experience the cumbersomeness of EHR workflows, which impacts their ability to provide the best care. The study revealed that out of 5,000 physicians surveyed about the usability of their EHR, most gave it an F.
Another study by the University of New Mexico also looked at EHR dissatisfaction and burnout. The research disclosed that 13% of physicians self-reported levels of stress and burnout associated with EHR issues.
Most experts cite the need to overhaul the design of EHRs to reframe the technology to better align with critical functionality. EHRs should allow physicians to spend more time with patients, but that’s been found to be misleading, as a recent study found that doctors spend more time on the screen than with their patients.
ROOT CAUSES OF EHR DISSATISFACTION
While the actual design of EHRs is considered inadequate by many users. There is another challenge, as well—training. The KLAS’ Arch Collaborative published a study, polling over 72,000 clinicians in more than 150 hospitals and health systems. The objective was to uncover the real root cause of dissatisfaction.
The study found many clinicians didn’t know how to optimize their EHR and lacked proper training. Many didn’t even have an implementation plan. The different user experiences of physicians using an EHR aren’t always about the software’s design but rather their mastery of it.
WHAT'S THE ANSWER TO BETTER EHRS?
The AMA has significant concerns about burnout, finding that about 44% of physicians report, which is much higher than other professions. The life of a doctor is stressful. You are dealing with life and death scenarios, but you shouldn’t be demoralized because your EHR isn’t effective.
To improve the usability of EHRs, the AMA has documented eight priorities:
- Enhance physicians’ ability to deliver high-quality care
- Reduce the cognitive workload
- Support a team-based care model
- Encourage care coordination
- Enable digital patient engagement
- Accelerate user input into product design and post-implementation feedback
- Deliver product modularity and configurability
- Promote data liquidity
OTHER EHR PROBLEMS: WHY THEY DON'T ALWAYS WORK IN MEDICAL BILLING
Another crucial aspect of EHR dissatisfaction is its use in medical billing. Most EHRs have the capacity to enter charges, but they aren’t built for this. It can be cumbersome and time-consuming. Instead, many physicians are turning to mobile charge capture applications, which are easy to use and streamline medical billing.
These platforms allow physicians to save time and boost revenue, as fewer charges are missed or denied. Your EHR will always be a critical resource, but it’s time to rethink medical billing with mobile charge capture. See how it works today with a free trial from DocCharge.
About DocCharge
DocCharge: Be productive again! Practice analytics, mobile charge capture, HIPAA compliant messaging, and tools for billers.
DocCharge is a mobile physician productivity platform enabling physicians and clinicians to save time by efficiently capture patient billings, communicate with back office and maximize revenue by avoiding lost charges using real-time analytics on a mobile device. Designed by a physician for fellow physicians, residents/fellows, and mid-level providers, DocCharge maximizes one’s productivity. Practice Administrators and outsourced billing companies find the application very intuitive, thus improving practice efficiency and revenue.
DocCharge is transforming healthcare data into useful and actionable insights, thereby allowing partner subscribers to focus their resources on the core business of providing high quality patient care. For more information, visit www.DocCharge.com, email: contact@DocCharge.com.
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