How to Overcome EHR Busy Work and Boost Healthcare Efficiency
The adoption of Electronic Health Records (EHRs) has revolutionized healthcare, improving data access, patient safety, and overall efficiency. However, healthcare professionals still face EHR busy work, including repetitive data entry, excessive documentation, and difficult-to-use interfaces. These issues can lead to burnout, reduced productivity, and even compromised patient care.
Here are effective strategies to eliminate EHR busy work and refocus on what truly matters—patient care.
1. Invest in User-Friendly EHR Systems
Simplify the user experience: Choose EHR systems designed with intuitive interfaces and workflows.
Gather feedback: Conduct user surveys and collaborate with vendors to ensure the system meets healthcare providers' needs.
Focus on usability: A user-centered design reduces frustration and streamlines operations.
2. Streamline Documentation Processes
Standardize forms: Implement templates and smart forms to reduce redundant data entry.
Auto-population features: Use systems that automatically fill in key patient data, saving time for clinicians.
Focus on essential information: Reduce complex documentation requirements to prioritize what’s necessary.
3. Optimize EHR Interoperability
Seamless data sharing: Ensure your system supports the sharing of information between healthcare institutions.
Eliminate duplication: Interoperability reduces repetitive data entry and errors, streamlining patient care.
Promote regional/national efforts: Support initiatives that advance EHR interoperability for improved healthcare delivery.
4. Leverage Voice Recognition Technology
Dictation over manual entry: Use voice-to-text tools to dictate patient notes and orders directly into the EHR.
Save time: By reducing manual typing, clinicians can document faster and with greater ease.
Reduce reliance on keyboards: Let technology do the heavy lifting when it comes to documentation.
5. Embrace Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Natural Language Processing (NLP)
AI-powered data entry: Use AI to extract relevant information from physician notes and diagnostic reports.
Improve decision-making: AI can flag potential medication errors and other risks, aiding clinical decisions.
Automate workflows: AI and NLP can streamline documentation and reduce manual tasks.
6. Provide Comprehensive EHR Training
Ongoing staff training: Regular EHR training ensures healthcare providers are efficient users of the system.
Reduce learning curves: Well-trained staff navigate EHR systems more easily, cutting down time spent on admin tasks.
Maximize system benefits: Comprehensive training helps staff fully utilize EHR functionalities.
7. Delegate Non-Clinical Tasks
Assign tasks to admin staff: Delegate data entry, scheduling, and other non-clinical tasks to administrative staff or scribes.
Focus on patient care: Allow physicians to prioritize their expertise, improving overall productivity and patient outcomes.
Conclusion: Streamlining EHR for Better Care
EHR's busy work continues to challenge healthcare providers, but it doesn’t have to. By investing in user-friendly systems, improving interoperability, and leveraging AI and voice recognition technologies, healthcare organizations can significantly reduce the administrative burden of EHRs. Comprehensive training and smart task delegation will further empower providers, leading to better care and more efficient workflows.
References:
Adler-Milstein, J., & Jha, A. K. (2016). HITECH Act Drove Large Gains In Hospital Electronic Health Record Adoption. Health Affairs, 35(4), 992-1000.
Khairat, S., Coleman, C., Ottmar, P., & Bice, T. (2018). Health Care Providers’ Adoption Of Electronic Health Records And Information Systems: A Systematic Review. JMIR Medical Informatics, 6(4), e44.
Peckham, A. M., & Beaulieu, N. D. (2019). How AI Is Changing Medicine. Harvard Business Review.
Sinsky, C., Colligan, L., Li, L., Prgomet, M., Reynolds, S., Goeders, L., ... & Blike, G. (2016). Allocation of physician time in ambulatory practice: a time and motion study in 4 specialties. Annals of Internal Medicine, 165(11), 753-760.
Wright, A., Feblowitz, J., Maloney, F. L., Henkin, S., Ramelson, H., Felt, L. J., ... & Bates, D. W. (2014). A national survey of certified electronic health records on pediatric care. Journal of the American Medical Informatics Association, 21(4), 779-785.
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