Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2021 Apr 23;28(5):931-937.
doi: 10.1093/jamia/ocaa248.

Reducing electronic health record-related burnout in providers through a personalized efficiency improvement program

Eli M Lourie  1   2 , Levon Haig Utidjian  1   2 , Maria F Ricci  2 , Linda Webster  2 , Carola Young  2 , Stephanie M Grenfell  2
Affiliations

Reducing electronic health record-related burnout in providers through a personalized efficiency improvement program

Eli M Lourie et al. J Am Med Inform Assoc. .

Abstract

Objective: To give providers a better understanding of how to use the electronic health record (EHR), improve efficiency, and reduce burnout.

Materials and methods: All ambulatory providers were offered at least 1 one-on-one session with an "optimizer" focusing on filling gaps in EHR knowledge and lack of customization. Success was measured using pre- and post-surveys that consisted of validated tools and homegrown questions. Only participants who returned both surveys were included in our calculations.

Results: Out of 1155 eligible providers, 1010 participated in optimization sessions. Pre-survey return rate was 90% (1034/1155) and post-survey was 54% (541/1010). 451 participants completed both surveys. After completing their optimization sessions, respondents reported a 26% improvement in mean knowledge of EHR functionality (P < .01), a 19% increase in the mean efficiency in the EHR (P < .01), and a 17% decrease in mean after-hours EHR usage (P < .01). Of the 401 providers asked to rate their burnout, 32% reported feelings of burnout in the pre-survey compared to 23% in the post-survey (P < .01). Providers were also likely to recommend colleagues participate in the program, with a Net Promoter Score of 41.

Discussion: It is possible to improve provider efficiency and feelings of burnout with a personalized optimization program. We ascribe these improvements to the one-on-one nature of our program which provides both training as well as addressing the feeling of isolation many providers feel after implementation.

Conclusion: It is possible to reduce burnout in ambulatory providers with personalized retraining designed to improve efficiency and knowledge of the EHR.

Keywords: Burnout; computer user training; electronic health records; optimization; provider efficiency.

PubMed Disclaimer

References

    1. Shanafelt TD, Boone S, Tan L, et al.Burnout and satisfaction with work-life balance among US physicians relative to the general US population. Arch Intern Med 2012; 172 (18): 1377–85. - PubMed
    1. Gardner RL, Cooper E, Haskell J, et al.Physician stress and burnout: the impact of health information technology. J Am Med Inform Assoc 2019; 26 (2): 106–14. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Gawande A. Why doctors hate their computers. The New Yorker. November 12, 2018. https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2018/11/12/why-doctors-hate-their-com.... Accessed February 28, 2019.
    1. Kroth PJ, Morioka-Douglas N, Veres S, et al.Association of electronic health record design and use factors with clinician stress and burnout. JAMA Netw Open 2019; 2 (8): e199609. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Melnick ER, Dyrbye LN, Sinsky CA, et al.The association between perceived electronic health record usability and professional burnout among US physicians. Mayo Clin Proc 2020; 95 (3): 476–87. - PubMed