Interoperability of health data and user-centered EHR software design can help resolve issues that contribute to administrative burdens leading to physician burnout, according to an advisory from the Surgeon General. Physician burnout is caused by an increase in stress levels due to increased pressure of maintaining patient care and also tackling administrative tasks. Burnout is one of the leading reasons for hampered patient care and can impact health outcome levels.
Reducing administrative burden
Healthcare organizations must implement strategies to decrease administrative burden so providers can focus on their patients. The burden of managing operational, billing, and scheduling tasks can distract doctors to offer high-quality patient care.
How to alleviate the administrative burden?
Hospitals in the US have leveraged cloud-based EMR software solutions that have patient records digitally stored and can be accessed, shared, and updated round-the-clock. Patient engagement tools can also be used to support the practice’s growth.
Common administrative burdens can also be overcome by de-implementation checklists. Such as Hawaii Pacific Health’s program of getting rid of unnecessary stuff asked healthcare providers to evaluate their experience with the EHR software and then suggest tasks that were avoidable and designed mediocrely. This program helped the health system to save 1,700 nursing hours every month reducing the chances of clinician burnout and enhancing work efficiency levels.
Prior authorization is also one of the major fuels that bring more fire to stress levels. A survey conducted in 2020 revealed that 85% of clinicians feel highly burdened due to prior authorizations. Electronic prior authorization can help enhance medication delivery and also address the issue of physician burnout.
EMR software design and interoperability
Health IT vendors can also play a major role to find a solution to clinician burnout due to administrative tasks. EMR Software systems should be designed intuitively so they can work more efficiently to streamline administrative, clinical, and financial tasks. Vendors can make an effort to minimize any pop-up messages to reduce work disruptions and enhance EHR software integration into everyday workflows.
Enhancing interoperability options in software systems can also reduce the chances of physician burnout as communication can be optimized and data can be seamlessly shared to support care coordination.
Reducing physician burnout can also reduce the chances of medical errors and enhance patient outcome levels. When doctors feel well they are in a better position to take care of their patients.
