Focus on computer screen
As the title suggests, this theme focusses on the additional time spent using a computer for documentation, which takes away from time spent directly interacting with patients. One physician commented that he now spends less time with patients, because he has hours of data entry waiting for him. Other doctors state that they spend more time looking at a screen, than at the patient.
Reducing quality of interaction
No effect experienced
Physicians working with infants, for example, did not feel like EHR’s affected their interaction. One could argue, however, that there is not a lot of interaction with babies to start with. Physicians in other fields commented that EHR’s did not interfere with their patient-time, because they decided to enter the data at the end of the day, resulting in longer work days.
On a positive note
It also helps physicians prepare for a visit, giving them the chance to view a patients history and lab results. The patient and physician are also able to review lab and test results together. The same applies to several physicians working one case, who are now able to read each other’s notes and comments.
Of course the study does have its limits. For starters, it was only conducted among practitioners in Rhode Island. The researchers also state that people are often more likely to answer a free text question when they feel strongly about the subject (either positively or negatively).
However, the large sample size and high response rate do counter these limitations slightly. The three researchers hope that their findings will shape interventions to improve how EHRs are used in inpatient settings. The end-goal is, of course, to improve both physician satisfaction and patient experience.