3 Ways Electronic Health Records (EHRs) Will Improve Healthcare

Electronic health records are not just a speculated source of physician burnout. They’re a direct cause for about 13 percent of providers, according to University of New Mexico researchers who recently examined the effects of EHR implementation and use.

The issue runs even deeper, says Dr. Philip Kroth, a professor at UNM’s School of Medicine. Researchers also discovered about 40 percent of all clinical stress is closely tied to clinical culture and its processes — things heavily influenced by EHRs.

“We are losing the equivalent of seven graduating classes of physicians yearly to burnout and, as they leave the profession, they point their finger at the time now required for them to document their work and how it has led to the loss of quality time spent with patients and families,” said Kroth in a September news release about the research.

But it doesn’t mean that organizations should give up hope on EHRs.