Cranky Index Report from Phrase Health Exposes the Hidden Impact of EHR Alert Fatigue
PHILADELPHIA, May 1, 2025 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- Phrase Health, the leader in clinical variation intelligence, today released its Cranky Index Report, revealing alarming patterns in electronic health record (EHR) alert fatigue across 65+ hospitals. The study analyzes clinician frustration with the EHR through "cranky comments" left by healthcare workers—an approach grounded in peer-reviewed, validated research and based on analysis of free-text EHR entries—exposing significant workflow disruptions that threaten patient safety.
Healthcare's interruption crisis has reached alarming levels, with emergency physicians interrupted 6.6 times hourly and 11% of tasks disrupted mid-process. EHR alerts represent one of the most preventable disruptions—clinicians can face over 100 daily alert interruptions with dismissal rates approaching 100%, according to Phrase Health's customer data. The relentless stream of alerts jeopardizes patient safety and fuels clinician burnout—eroding job satisfaction, increasing exhaustion with technology, and driving many experienced providers toward leaving practice.
"When performing this comprehensive review of the Cranky Index data, I was struck by how often clinicians resort to cursing and 'extreme' venting in sheer frustration—it's like they're screaming into an abyss where no one hears them," said Marc Tobias, MD, CEO of Phrase Health. "These outbursts aren't just colorful anecdotes; they underscore well-documented findings that engaging and acknowledging end-users is essential to alleviating burnout and safeguarding patient care."
Some of the key findings from the Cranky Index Report include:
- Day shift staff experience 13% higher cranky rates than night shift counterparts
- Over 6% of comments placed by administrative personnel were deemed cranky
- Frustration among laboratory specialists and podiatrists is about 20× that seen in specialties such as pediatrics
- Negative feedback peaks midweek on Tuesdays and Thursdays
The Cranky Index represents the first in an ongoing series examining inefficiencies in EHR workflows, leveraging Phrase Health's customer data from more than 65 hospitals during 2024. Download the full report.
About Phrase Health
Phrase Health transforms EHR data into actionable insights, helping more than 70 hospitals reduce clinical variation and eliminate millions in waste. Founded by physicians and clinical informaticists and backed by multiple NIH grants, the Phraze Health platform delivers measurable impact by reducing unnecessary lab orders, increasing care gap closures, and saving thousands of clinician hours.
For more information or to schedule a personalized demo, visit www.phrasehealth.com.
Media Contact
Caroline Hacker, Phrase Health, 1 202-734-6224, [email protected]
SOURCE Phrase Health
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