EHRs Stress Physicians

By Katie Wike, contributing writer

According to a recent survey, EHRs were a huge factor in physician stress levels - second only to time pressures.

Earlier this year, Health IT Outcomes reported MU was contributing to physician burnout, a feeling which plagues nearly 90 percent of doctors. Now, an InCrowd survey confirms EHRs are a significant factor to burnout and continue to cause stress for physicians.

The survey found when it comes to factors causing stress for doctors EHRs were second only to time pressures. EHR Intelligence explains three of five primary care and emergency providers experienced “decreased enthusiasm for work, depersonalization, emotional exhaustion, and a low sense of personal accomplishment.” In addition, the survey found:

• about one-third knew of a colleague who experienced burnout
• about one-third experience frustration as a result of their week on a daily or weekly basis
• three of four said their facilities or practices are not taking sufficient action to address physician burnout

“Doctors will get behind things that support better quality of care and support them in their clinical practice. It's the nonsensical stuff that makes it infuriating and challenging,” American Medical Association President Steve Stack, MD told EHRIntelligence.

“Electronic health records have a great amount of promise,” Stack continued. “Many doctors actually enjoy a lot of facets of their EHRs — the ready access to information, the ability to see historical information, the ability to share information with other doctors, other clinicians, and their patients directly so that patients can be more informed.

“Those are all good things, but there are many other aspects of the EHR that are frustrating. They are inefficient to use. They don't talk to each other. They cost a lot of money. When they crash or go down, it paralyzes our ability to do our work and care for patients.”