Report Finds EHR Satisfaction Mixed
By Christine Kern, contributing writer
Nearly half of respondents say their practice sees fewer patients because of EHRs.
Nearly half (46.1 percent) of practices reveal they are seeing fewer patients per day because of EHR usage, and almost three-quarters (74.3 percent) report they have yet to see a return on their investment according to the results of a new Tech Report from Physicians Practice. These findings are in line with research that shows workflow disruptions have prevented many providers from maximizing the benefits of the technology.
The inaugural 2016 Tech Report highlights their annual Technology Survey and other tech-based content for readers and helps to illuminate how technology use compares to that of their peers. The Technology survey polled more than 1,500 physicians and practice managers nationwide regarding their health information technology use and patterns, including EHR adoption, utilization, and ROI.
The survey found EHR use is still a “mixed bag.” While the survey did not return a completely negative view of EHRs — 59 percent reported EHRs actually improved documentation and 78 percent said they use an app to access their EHR on mobile devices — there was significant dissatisfaction with the extra time EHRs take per patient and the lack of ROI. The study also found the majority of practices are satisfied with their current EHR vendor.
Another study found hospital HIE engagement is associated with vendor dominance, and competition between EHR vendors has become fierce in recent years as customers determine their future purchasing plans. While EHRs have provided many positive aspects to healthcare such as faster access to patient information, workflow disruptions have also become barriers from realizing better outcomes efficiently as Health IT Outcomes reported.
The 2016 Tech Report also examines how practices are meeting Meaningful Use compliance, data security issues, health information exchange, mobile health initiatives, and patient engagement technologies. It also includes three full-length articles.
“This is a complete look at how technology is being adopted in small to mid-sized practices. The information reveals the areas in which physicians are weak, the areas physicians believe they have a strong grasp of technology, and much more,” said Gabriel Perna, managing editor of Physicians Practice. “It's clear from the data, there is a wide discrepancy in the adoption of EHRs (nearly 75 percent have implemented one) and other technologies, such as telemedicine (13.6 percent), data analytics (33.1 percent), and voice recognition (31.1 percent).”