Study shows time physicians spend on their EHRs

The electronic health record (EHR) was developed to enable independent physicians to be more effective and more efficient. Electronic records significantly reduce the possibilities of duplication and, worse, errors in healthcare records. EHRs also enable physicians to collaborate with other healthcare providers, ensuring that patients receive quality care in a timely manner.

Many physicians, though, are finding that they are spending more time with their EHRs than with their patients. A recent study found that “physicians from family medicine, internal medicine, cardiology, and orthopedics spent nearly 2 hours in the EHR and on other desk work for every 1 hour of direct patient care.” An article in the Annals of Family Medicine indicates that factors such as “increased structured documentation requirements, computerized physician order entry (CPOE), inbox management, patient portals, and a redistribution of tasks previously performed by clinical staff to clinicians has led to more work that is not direct face time with patients.”

At Elation Health, we understand that the patient-physician relationship is the key to providing quality healthcare and that physicians need to spend more face-to-face time with their patients. Elation’s EHR solution is designed to be more efficient so that the independent physician spends less time on the computer and more time interacting directly with the patient.

Entering and re-entering information has remained a time-intensive and cumbersome part of adopting electronic health records. Elation reduces this need by prioritizing automation throughout the workflow. While most EHRs rely on a linear workflow that forces back-and-forth screen toggling and extra clicks, Elation’s Cockpit View surfaces everything the independent physician needs in a unique three-pane console, providing more flexibility and more efficiency. All the necessary information is right in front of the provider, on two screens.

With Elation’s EHR solution, the independent provider is able to use the Dynamic Problem List when charting to pull in specific patient information, lab results, and notes from a previous visit with just one click — helping to maintain a more comprehensive and longitudinal patient record, more efficiently. The provider can focus on face-to-face patient interactions, knowing that the patient’s electronic medical record is accurate and current.