Efficient Clinical Documentation Encourages Physician Satisfaction

Years ago, in the early stages of electronic health record (EHR) adoption, an inherent promise was that this technology would add convenience and simplicity to the everyday lives of doctors.

However, many physicians would contend that weak, convoluted EHR systems do the opposite—instead, adding complication and frustration that results in less one-on-one time with patients.

Perhaps most significantly, unsophisticated EHR systems can also impact physicians’ job satisfaction, spurring physician burnout. Characteristics of physician burnout include feelings of emotional exhaustion, depersonalization and lack of personal accomplishment.

Recent research published in JAMA Internal Medicine reports that physician burnout can significantly increase the likelihood of care deficiencies and patient safety incidents. In 47 studies of more than 42,000 physicians, researchers found that overall physician burnout doubled the odds of involvement in patient safety incidents, doubled the odds of low professionalism and doubled the odds for low patient satisfaction.

Although improving physician satisfaction is a complicated and multifaceted challenge, improvements in clinical documentation through a sophisticated EHR can be a significant factor. Consider switching to EHRs that:

4 EHR Tips to Boost Physician Satisfaction

1. Simplify a physician’s day: An efficient EHR should allow clinicians to spend more time with patients.
2. Complement physician workflows: Physician tools must be easy to use, promote safety, and be intuitive and responsive.
3. Inform better decision-making: Physicians should be able to review all notes regarding a patient’s current and previous encounters. They should have the option to create new notes from customizable templates.
4. Remove error-prone processes: For example, when a physician puts an order into a chart, the order management workflow should be seamless and easy to follow. Having the right EHR tool can help fine-tune processes that otherwise may be more likely to result in a mistake that could impact patient safety and overall experience.

Boost your physicians’ satisfaction and overall physician experience with better technology to help treat their workload headaches and immunize them from the road to burnout. MEDHOST Physician Experience Solution provides you with intuitive tools that sync with existing physician workflows with Note, Chart, and Orders, makings documentation easy and aligning with workflows.

Let your EHR do the work! Learn more by emailing us at inquiries@medhost.com or call 1.800.383.6278 to speak with one of our specialists to learn how MEDHOST can implement clinical documentation solutions to better support physicians.

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