Suggestions Offered to Reduce Physician Frustration With EHRs

TUESDAY, April 10, 2018 (HealthDay News) — Changes can be implemented to help reduce physician frustration with electronic health records (EHRs), according to an article published in Medical Economics.

In order to help physicians become more efficient and reduce their frustration with the EHR system, Martin Pricco, M.D., M.B.A., from the Gould Medical Group in Modesto, Calif., offers eight suggestions for changes that can be implemented.

The suggestions include improving the password process so that physicians do not need to spend time typing passwords into workstations. Practices should provide or allow physicians to attend individualized optimization training in order to personalize EHR settings; physicians need a minimum of six hours of training, some spent in the classroom and some spent with a trainer. EHR users should ascertain where time is being wasted; most systems can show where physician time is being spent in the software. The EHR can be customized to workflow and specialty; customization improves physician satisfaction. Each physician should find the documentation time-saving method that works for them.

In addition, a review process should be created whereby all items are reviewed by a member of staff before being sent to a physician, allowing items to be rerouted as appropriate. Where possible, staff nurses or other licensed clinicians can handle prescription refills. Printers should be installed in exam rooms in order to prevent physicians from having to walk back and forth to print information from the EHR.

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