Majority Of Providers Unhappy With EHRs

By Katie Wike, contributing writer

Survey shows 6 of 10 providers were not satisfied with the way EHRs affected daily workflow, citing loss of productivity and poor software design as major complaints

EHR Intelligence reports backlash against EHRs is still an issue with more than half of the 212 participants in a survey conducted by IDC Health Insights reporting “they were not happy with the way EHRs have affected their daily workflow, with a chronic loss of productivity and poor software design topping the list of reasons why physicians continue to grumble about their computers.”

IDC found, “The two most frequent reasons for EHR dissatisfaction involved lost productivity — spending more time on documentation (85 percent) and seeing fewer patients (66 percent).” On the other hand, cited as the top reasons of the providers who reported satisfaction with their EHRs “were a reduction in the number of lost or missing charts (82 percent), the ability to access medical records and work remotely (75 percent), and incentive payments (56 percent).”

“While EHR adoption has been successful, with the industry moving from just 30 percent adoption in 2010 to near saturation by the end of 2013, user satisfaction and productivity with the applications has lagged behind,” writes Judy Hanover, Research Director at IDC. “The challenge of buying, implementing and maintaining the EHR software, adjusting workflows to incorporate the new software, meeting meaningful use requirements and changing business models to value-based care at the same time, has overwhelmed many ambulatory practices.”

The results of the IDC survey correspond with those from a Rand Report which found, “Physicians approved of EHRs in concept and appreciated having better ability to remotely access patient information and improvements in quality of care. However, for many physicians, the current state of EHR technology significantly worsened professional satisfaction in multiple ways.”

“EHR is here to stay, and it is important for both providers and vendors to address the issues in order to succeed in the coming years with current and replacement EHRs,” Hanover states.  “Success and productivity with EHR will become even more important as EHR installations become the building blocks for care management, patient engagement and patient-centered medical home operations under accountable care.”

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