Time spent in the EHR is increasing, decreasing cognitive load and quality of care
SAN FRANCISCO, Oct. 1, 2024 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- Health Note, a clinical documentation company specializing in the patient and physician experience, has published its first state of clinical burnout report, compiling highly-cited studies and corroborating them with native data from users on its platform.
One of the biggest contributors to burnout is continued dependence on present-day EHRs, which continue to bog down workflows and limit productivity. It was found that clinician time spent on EHRs increased by roughly 28 minutes per day between 2019 and 2023. This is bleeding into personal lives, as one in two physicians say at-home EHR time is "high" or "excessive".
"When I shifted my focus from patient care in internal medicine back in 2018, it was in part because my time was getting pinched at every angle – I was tethered to the EHR for billing, coding, and medical note-taking and getting asked to see more patients in a shorter amount of time. It didn't add up," said Health Note Chief Executive Officer Joshua Reischer, MD. "This data is not only alarming but dangerous and is only going to lead to more clinician attrition unless we build better processes and levers that automate the administration of healthcare."
More EHR time and a lack of "user-friendly insights" can negatively affect the patient, including delayed treatment initiation, prolonged hospital stays, and incorrect treatment plans. According to industry leaders, it can also sour a patient's experience, as doctors who have their backs to the patient for long periods of time lose confidence in the practice.
"Increasing demands from regulators and insurance companies have led to much longer, more dense notes full of mandatory (non-clinical) phrases and attestations, taking away from the initial goal of the EHR," said Dr. Louis Tramontozzi, neurologist with North Shore Neurology of Massachusetts. "Many physicians, like myself, have had to adapt – typing quickly while maintaining eye contact with our patients. But it's not just that. Physicians spend a significant amount of cognitive energy on non-clinical tasks – time and energy that would be better spent on diagnosing and treating patients. It's ultimately this additional cognitive drain that burns us out."
The American Association of Medical Colleges (AAMC) recently projected a shortage of up to 86,000 physicians by 2036, as burnout continues to decimate the industry and push more doctors out of the profession. For one healthcare executive, it required switching EHRs to help alleviate some of the challenges with bandwidth.
"I just started working in the healthcare industry in 2018, so imagine my surprise when I saw fax machines and paper forms for signing patients into facilities. Additionally, it was the EHR that complicated every patient interaction and stood in the way of our doctors and a positive experience," said Springfield Clinic Chief Brand and Advocacy Officer Zach Kerker. "We need to give our clinicians the very best tools for them to do their jobs and reducing cognitive load, saving 15-20 minutes each day, is a monumental win."
To view the full report, please visit https://www.healthnote.com/2024-provider-burnout-report/
About Health Note
Health Note is the first clinically intelligent patient intake and engagement platform designed to save physicians more than an hour of clerical work per day. With Health Note, organizations can automate patient outreach, self-scheduling, front-office tasks, and clinical EHR administration. Trusted by leading health systems, community health centers, and patients across the country, Health Note was purposely built by and for the clinical community. Ensure the best patient and physician experience, learn more at healthnote.com.
Media Contact
James Kanka, Health Note, 1 703-477-9328, [email protected], healthnote.com
SOURCE Health Note
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