Electronic tasks increase risk of physician burnout: 6 insights

Practice Management

Rochester, Minn.-based Mayo Clinic researchers studied the impact of electronic health records and computerized physician order entry on physicians. The researchers worked with American Medical Association investigators, looking at data from 6,560 physicians.

Mayo Clinic Proceedings published the study.

 

Here are six insights:

 

1. The researchers found EHRs and computerized physician order entries result in decreased physician satisfaction.

 

2. These electronic tasks also lead to higher physician burnout rates.

 

3. EHRs have decreased efficiency and increase clerical work.

 

4. Family medicine physicians, urologists, otolaryngologists and neurologists had the lowest satisfaction with clerical burden.

 

5. The study revealed computerized physician entry was most strongly linked to physician burnout risk.

 

6. Researchers concluded the industry should figure out how to integrate these electronic tools in a way that doesn't significantly expand physician clerical burden.

 

"Burnout has been shown to erode quality of care, increase risk of medical errors and lead physicians to reduce clinical work hours suggesting that the net effect of these electronic tools on quality of care for the U.S. healthcare system is less clear," said Tait Shanafelt, MD, study lead author.

 

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