Study: Physicians want EHRs overhaul
American physicians want substantial improvements in the way electronic health records work, according to new research by Stanford Medicine, conducted by The Harris Poll.
In a poll conducted online of more than 500 primary care physicians, respondents expressed a range of views on the current state of EHRs, the impact EHRs have had on their professional satisfaction, and their potential as clinical tools. The results will be presented Monday at a national symposium hosted by Stanford Medicine, which will convene health leaders to discuss the future of EHR technology.
Physicians see value in EHRs, but want substantial improvement. According to the findings, 63 percent of physicians think EHRs have generally led to improved patient care, and 66 percent are at least somewhat satisfied with their current systems; however, a large portion see room for improvement.
PCPs also had much to say on the impact that EHRs had on the quality of their work life. More than half reported that using an EHR detracts from their professional satisfaction and, more importantly, their clinical effectiveness. Even more agreed that EHR use contributed to the number of hours worked daily and believed that EHRs are a large contributing factor to the physician burnout crisis.
PCPs reported spending a disproportionate amount of time per visit interacting with EHR systems, and many believe that EHRs are competing with their patients for already limited time and attention. On average, over the course of a 20-minute in-person patient visit, PCPs reported spending 12 minutes interacting with the patient, and eight minutes interacting with the EHR system. This does not include another 11 minutes of EHR interaction once the patient visit had concluded.
PCPs value EHRs primarily for data storage, not clinical abilities
Nearly half (44 percent) of PCPs report that the primary value of their EHR is data storage, compared to clinical abilities such as disease prevention/management (3 percent), clinical decision support (3 percent), and patient engagement (2 percent). These responses confirm that physicians largely see EHRs as a storage utility, rather than a clinical tool designed to help them improve patient care.
Ideas for improvement
Those polled believe EHR systems can be improved in the following ways:
Top three short term improvements:
Top three long term improvements:
"EHRs have transformed how health care is documented in the U.S., but for all the information we've now captured digitally, we are rarely wiser as a result," said Lloyd Minor, dean of the Stanford University School of Medicine. "Insights that could lead to better patient care or new medical discoveries remain buried within piles of disconnected data. Moreover, EHR use has eroded professional satisfaction among physicians. This national poll underscores what many physicians have felt for a while: their needs are not reflected enough in the design of these systems. Fixing the problem goes far beyond technology, and it will take many stakeholders working together to make EHRs more user-friendly and capable of achieving their true potential."
In a poll conducted online of more than 500 primary care physicians, respondents expressed a range of views on the current state of EHRs, the impact EHRs have had on their professional satisfaction, and their potential as clinical tools. The results will be presented Monday at a national symposium hosted by Stanford Medicine, which will convene health leaders to discuss the future of EHR technology.
Physicians see value in EHRs, but want substantial improvement. According to the findings, 63 percent of physicians think EHRs have generally led to improved patient care, and 66 percent are at least somewhat satisfied with their current systems; however, a large portion see room for improvement.
- 59 percent think EHRs need a complete overhaul
- 40 percent believe there are more challenges with EHRs than benefits
- Only 18 percent reported being "very satisfied" with their current systems
PCPs also had much to say on the impact that EHRs had on the quality of their work life. More than half reported that using an EHR detracts from their professional satisfaction and, more importantly, their clinical effectiveness. Even more agreed that EHR use contributed to the number of hours worked daily and believed that EHRs are a large contributing factor to the physician burnout crisis.
- The majority of PCPs (54 percent) say using an EHR detracts from their professional satisfaction
- Half (49 percent) think using an EHR detracts from their clinical effectiveness
- Nearly three-quarters agree EHRs have increased the total number of hours they work daily (74 percent) and that EHRs greatly contribute to physician burnout (71 percent)
PCPs reported spending a disproportionate amount of time per visit interacting with EHR systems, and many believe that EHRs are competing with their patients for already limited time and attention. On average, over the course of a 20-minute in-person patient visit, PCPs reported spending 12 minutes interacting with the patient, and eight minutes interacting with the EHR system. This does not include another 11 minutes of EHR interaction once the patient visit had concluded.
- 62 percent of time that PCPs devote to each patient is being spent in the EHR
- 69 percent say using an EHR takes valuable time away from their patients
- 69 percent believe EHRs have not strengthened their patient relationships
PCPs value EHRs primarily for data storage, not clinical abilities
Nearly half (44 percent) of PCPs report that the primary value of their EHR is data storage, compared to clinical abilities such as disease prevention/management (3 percent), clinical decision support (3 percent), and patient engagement (2 percent). These responses confirm that physicians largely see EHRs as a storage utility, rather than a clinical tool designed to help them improve patient care.
Ideas for improvement
Those polled believe EHR systems can be improved in the following ways:
Top three short term improvements:
- 72 percent would like to see improved EHR user interface design to eliminate inefficiencies and reduce screen time
- Almost half of PCPs (48 percent) would like to shift more EHR data entry to support staff
- 38 percent would like to increase use of highly-accurate voice recording technology that acts as a scribe during patient visits
Top three long term improvements:
- 67 percent think solving interoperability deficiencies in the next decade should be the focus
- Nearly half (43 percent) want improved predictive analytics to support disease diagnosis, prevention, and population health management
- Nearly one-third of PCPs (32 percent) indicate they would like to see the integration of financial information into the EHR to help patients understand the costs of their care options.
"EHRs have transformed how health care is documented in the U.S., but for all the information we've now captured digitally, we are rarely wiser as a result," said Lloyd Minor, dean of the Stanford University School of Medicine. "Insights that could lead to better patient care or new medical discoveries remain buried within piles of disconnected data. Moreover, EHR use has eroded professional satisfaction among physicians. This national poll underscores what many physicians have felt for a while: their needs are not reflected enough in the design of these systems. Fixing the problem goes far beyond technology, and it will take many stakeholders working together to make EHRs more user-friendly and capable of achieving their true potential."