EHRs Have A Learning Curve

By Katie Wike, contributing writer

A study recently published by JMIR Human Factors suggests physician performance with EHRs is directly related to their experience with the technology. “This study found differences in novice and expert physicians’ performance, demonstrating that physicians’ proficiency increased with EHR experience,” noted researchers.

Fierce EMR writes researchers measured the learnability gaps between expert and novice primary care resident physician groups by comparing performance measures when using an EHR system. First year resident physicians, who were considered novices, had their performance with the EHR monitored both three and seven months after starting to use the system. This data was then compared to performance by second and third-year residents whose skill level was considered expert.

The research team hopes the data collected through this study may help EHR vendors improve their user interface so physicians can effectively use the system. It may also assist in the design of education and training programs by highlighting the tasks that are difficult for resident physicians, according to the study.

“Overall, this study identified varying degrees of learnability gaps between expert and novice physician groups that may impede the use of EHRs,” said the researchers from the University of Missouri and University of Nebraska Medical Center in Omaha. “Our results suggest that longer experience with an EHR may not be equivalent to being an expert or proficient in its use.”