Using Tech for Enhanced Provider Experience and Burnout Reduction

How bad is physician burnout? According to a 2019 Medscape study, it was projected to be around 44%, or nearly half of the more than 15,000 responders across 29 specialties. Fatigue, overwhelm, alienation, and a lack of sense of personal accomplishment are common symptoms of long-term, unresolved stress. What’s wrong?

There are several reasons for this, but the primary ones include working excessive hours and spending too much time in electronic health records (EHRs), as well as performing too many administrative or bureaucratic tasks (charting, paperwork, data input, etc.).  Although keeping track of patient health information is not new in healthcare, according to some experts, commercial EHRs make the task more challenging and time-consuming.

Despite the fact that many providers blame EHR technology for reducing time spent with patients and rising job dissatisfaction, there are ways to use the current technology to enhance the provider experience, reduce provider burnout, and possibly even increase the financial performance of the healthcare organization.

Burnout Affects Every Element of the Healthcare Equation

According to a 2016 survey of ambulatory care doctors, doctors spend an additional two hours on administrative work and EHR data entry for every hour they spend providing direct patient treatment. Physician burnout is a result of a number of factors, including stressful work situations and the fact that many doctors are unprepared for the amount of administrative work (such as billing, insurance, and documentation) that will be required of them.

According to the Mayo Clinic, burnout affects more than 50% of doctors, and rates are substantially higher in specific specialties. The mental and physical tiredness that physicians go through has a severe effect on the performance and financial outcomes of the healthcare system. Due to tiredness and loss of passion, doctors may lose interest in their patients and the organization, which negatively impacts patient care. As a result, healthcare organizations are also more prone to see an increase in absenteeism, personnel turnover, and medical blunders, to name a few.

Although data entry and various EHR technologies have become a source of frustration for many doctors, the correct technology can actually enhance the provider experience. We are aware that, especially as the industry works towards interoperability, the use of technology in clinical settings will only grow. We also know that electronic health records and the emphasis on the data’s shareability will endure. However, when that technology is incorporated into the physicians’ workflows, it can reduce their workload, help them deliver a better patient experience, and will show to be a major factor in reducing burnout.

Tailored Technology Elevates the Experience

There are numerous ways to design a system that promotes a less stressful work environment. Starting with a physician-centered EHR is one approach to go. Another is to employ analytical tools to track which parts of the platform are used the most and which are neglected. You may then offer a more specialized experience using this information. In certain instances, merely deleting pointless notifications and buttons can significantly enhance physician workflow.

With a purpose-built EHR that takes the needs of the doctor into account, the time spent on data entry can be decreased, allowing the doctor to spend more time with patients and less time on computers. In some instances, involving medical professionals and carers in the selection and development of technology can enhance tech acceptance and onboarding. Involving them will also help you select or develop a solution that better suits their demands and process. Longer periods of onboarding and training may also result in greater satisfaction.

Streamlining Data Entry is the Path Forward

Streamlining data entry is necessary to deliver a better patient experience. According to a Health Affairs survey by the Palo Alto Medical Foundation, doctors currently spend close to half of their time on desktop medical duties. By providing doctors with note-taking choices, such as speech recognition software, templates, remote scribe technology, or a combination of these, we can help to alleviate some of the administrative tasks that prevent them from spending time with their patients.

In fact, according to Medical Futurists, organizations like IBM are at the forefront of reducing data entry by launching an algorithm called Medical Sieve, which builds a cognitive assistant. Additionally, Augmedix is making an attempt. They are providing a service for documentation that makes it possible for doctors to confer with patients face-to-face while creating medical notes in real-time using Google Glass. Companies that provide dictation services, such as Nuance and M*Modal, have started to promote the usage of voice assistants. Additionally, tech company Notable has developed a wearable voice-powered assistant that captures information while interacting with patients.

The challenge is that for this data to improve accuracy and real-time data in the care equation, it must be able to flow to the EHR or health IT system, which relieves the burden of data entry on clinicians. Since many legacy systems weren’t designed with data exchange in mind, cloud-based technologies can be a big asset in this case.

Making Data Mobile

Today’s EHRs must be able to communicate with vital systems like virtual assistants, patient relationship management platforms, other EHRs, and APIs in order to make that data more accessible and combine everything into a single, central hub. Thanks to this connection, practitioners will be able to quickly and simply obtain information.

Utilizing cloud-based technologies is one way to achieve this. Thanks to cloud-based document management and workflow automation technology, practitioners will have access to data when and when they need it and will be able to make changes while on the go from a variety of devices. This will help the care team members communicate better and cut down on data duplication.

Effective integration and customization of EHRs can improve outcomes for physicians and medical facilities. Building a physician-centered EHR, according to experts like Dr. Kathleen Harder, director of the Centre for Design in Health at the University of Minnesota, will improve the usability of platforms, the effectiveness of workflow, the reduction of errors, and the general satisfaction of physicians with their careers.