Poorly designed systems make doctors 'a slave to their EHR'

FOXBORO, Mass. — While electronic healthcare records (EHRs) vastly improved patient information collection and sharing for some healthcare providers and payers, the technology also robs doctors of something critical: the ability to properly care for patients.

EHRs continue to require far too many mouse clicks and pagination to enter data during a visit, diverting attention from patients – something that’s key to not only creating a relationship but getting a complete picture of their health.

“Right now, it feels like physicians are a slave to their EHRs. There’s a high amount of burnout – emotional burnout, depersonalization and a low sense of professional accomplishment,” Dr. Alain Chaoui, president of the Massachusetts Medical Society, said during a presentation last week at the New England HIMSS Annual Spring Conference here.

To read this article in full, please click here