Electronic Health Records (EHRs) were introduced as a transformative tool in healthcare, promising to streamline workflows, improve patient care, and enhance data management. However, over time, EHRs have significantly contributed to clinician burnout, a growing crisis that threatens clinician well-being and the quality of patient care. Burnout, characterized by impaired attention, memory, and executive function, is a serious issue that can drive clinicians out of practice, further straining healthcare systems.
An opportunity for evolution
When EHRs first came to market, their design and purpose weren’t geared toward enhancing the physician-patient relationship. While the 2009 HITECH Act succeeded in bringing EHRs into almost every healthcare setting, providers' evolving user experience needs have outpaced the systems’ capabilities, leading to frustration and inefficiency.
Over-customization of EHRs has also created burdens. As systems become more complex with layers of customizations, upgrading them without disrupting workflows becomes daunting, often leading to further inefficiencies. The situation has become untenable. Nearly half of physicians report that they experience burnout, and this rate varies by location and specialty. Of those who have burnout symptoms, three-quarters attribute EHRs as a source.
The prevalence of burnout needs urgent attention. When physicians leave a healthcare organization, it can cost between $50,000 to $1 million in training and recruiting, while causing interruptions in their patients’ continuum of care. Furthermore, burnout contributes to psychological problems, including fatigue, depression, suicidal ideation, substance abuse, and strained relationships. It also increases the risk of medical errors, malpractice, and reduced patient satisfaction. In an environment where clinicians must synthesize vast amounts of information while managing high patient volumes and ensuring quality care, the current state of EHRs adds a significant burden rather than alleviating it.
Solutions mitigating EHR-induced burnout
While technological advancements are part of the solution, teams and health systems must also adopt human-centered strategies. By cultivating a good relationship between humans and the EHR, they can achieve things neither could on their own.
People and process solutions:
- User-centered design: EHR systems should be customized with direct input from physicians and clinicians, focusing on usability within the existing structure. This ensures that the system is tailored to the unique needs of its users, enhancing efficiency and reducing frustration.
- Training: Providing targeted training that is specialty-specific and aligns with individual needs can significantly improve interactions with the EHR and understanding of workflows. Targeted training that addresses specialty-specific templates and workflows can introduce new functionalities and e-health tools designed to intuitively support clinical activities.
- Process automation: Shifting repetitive, manual tasks, including self-scheduling, appointment reminders, and virtual check-ins, to automated digital tasks can significantly reduce the workload on care teams, allowing them to focus more on patients rather than administrative duties.
- Medical assistants: Evidence shows medical assistants decrease clinician burnout as they can spend their time updating the EHR, answering basic patient questions, and scheduling future appointments.
Technology-driven, EHR-embedded solutions
- Ambient voice technology: Using AI-powered listening technology can dramatically reduce the time spent on documentation by automating notetaking and allowing clinicians to focus on patient interactions.
- Virtual care integration: By streamlining platform workflows within the EHR, virtual care can become more efficient, allowing for better care delivery without adding to the clinician’s burden.
- Clinical decision-support systems: Current and future systems can be used strategically at the point of care to provide real-time data and insights that support clinical decision-making, reducing clinicians' cognitive load and enhancing patient outcomes.
- Automation: Automating actions related to clinical or administrative protocols presents interventions and tasks that can mitigate risk, streamline processes, and reduce manual workload.
Partnerships and innovative functionality combine to meet health systems where they are
Combining point-of-care insights, embedded applications, and actionable interventions with essential human elements, such as training and user-centered design, can improve EHR usability and alleviate the pain points associated with EHR-induced burnout. Through partnerships, healthcare organizations can integrate new user-friendly functionality and technology to enhance their existing EHR and improve usability.
For example, Clinical Healthcare Analytics’ Healthcare Heads-Up Display (HHUD) helps address common factors that lead to EHR-induced burnout, making it easier for clinicians to provide high-quality care without being overwhelmed by administrative tasks.
Collaborative efforts can bring about meaningful improvements in EHR systems. By prioritizing the needs of both patients and providers, we can create a future where EHRs support, rather than hinder, high-quality, patient-centered care.
As the healthcare industry continues to evolve, it is crucial to address the burnout to which EHRs contribute. By working with a strategic partner to integrate technology solutions that streamline workflows, improve efficiency, and reduce the administrative burden, we can enhance clinician well-being and ensure they remain focused on providing excellent patient care.
Looking to optimize and enhance your EHR to reduce clinician burnout using the latest technology? Schedule time with a Nordic consultant.