Electronic Health Records: An Unfulfilled Promise and a Call to Action
Authors: Susan Hingle
Journal: Annals of Internal Medicine (2016)

Editorials6 December 2016Electronic Health Records: An Unfulfilled Promise and a Call to ActionSusan Hingle, MDSusan Hingle, MDFrom SIU School of Medicine, Springfield, Illinois.Author, Article, and Disclosure Informationhttps://doi.org/10.7326/M16-1757 SectionsAboutFull TextPDF ToolsAdd to favoritesDownload CitationsTrack CitationsPermissions ShareFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditEmail Sinsky and colleagues (1) confirm what many practicing physicians have claimed: Electronic health records (EHRs), in their current state, occupy a lot of physicians' time and draw attention away from their direct interactions with patients and from their personal lives. Observers documented that for every hour of direct clinical time with patients, physicians spent 2 additional hours on EHR and desk work, and physicians reported spending up to an additional 1 to 2 hours of after-hours personal time completing documentation and EHR tasks. These observations have important implications for patient care and outcomes.A recent study found that physicians who ...References1. Sinsky C, Colligan L, Li L, Prgomet M, Reynolds S, Goeders L, et al. Allocation of physician time in ambulatory practice: a time and motion study in four specialties. Ann Intern Med. 2016;165:753-60. doi:10.7326/M16-0961 LinkGoogle Scholar2. Shanafelt TD, Dyrbye LN, Sinsky C, Hasan O, Satele D, Sloan J, et al. Relationship between clerical burden and characteristics of the electronic environment with physician burnout and professional satisfaction. Mayo Clin Proc. 2016;91:836-48. [PMID: 27313121] doi:10.1016/j.mayocp.2016.05.007 CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar3. Shanafelt TD, Boone S, Tan L, Dyrbye LN, Sotile W, Satele D, et al. Burnout and satisfaction with work-life balance among US physicians relative to the general US population. Arch Intern Med. 2012;172:1377-85. [PMID: 22911330] CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar4. Street RL, Liu L, Farber NJ, Chen Y, Calvitti A, Zuest D, et al. Provider interaction with the electronic health record: the effects on patient-centered communication in medical encounters. Patient Educ Couns. 2014;96:315-9. [PMID: 24882086] doi:10.1016/j.pec.2014.05.004 CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar5. Kazmi Z. Effects of exam room EHR use on doctor-patient communication: a systematic literature review. Inform Prim Care. 2013;21:30-9. [PMID: 24629654] doi:10.14236/jhi.v21i1.37 CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar6. Farber NJ, Liu L, Chen Y, Calvitti A, Street RL, Zuest D, et al. EHR use and patient satisfaction: what we learned. J Fam Pract. 2015;64:687-96. [PMID: 26697540] MedlineGoogle Scholar7. Kuhn T, Basch P, Barr M, Yackel T; Medical Informatics Committee of the American College of Physicians. Clinical documentation in the 21st century: executive summary of a policy position paper from the American College of Physicians. Ann Intern Med. 2015;162:301-3. [PMID: 25581028]. doi:10.7326/M14-2128 LinkGoogle Scholar8. Wachter RM. Annals for Hospitalists inpatient notes – hospitalists and digital medicine—overcoming the productivity paradox. Ann Intern Med. 2016;165:HO2-3. [PMID: 27429311]. doi:10.7326/M16-1367 LinkGoogle Scholar Author, Article, and Disclosure InformationAffiliations: From SIU School of Medicine, Springfield, Illinois.Disclosures: The author has disclosed no conflicts of interest. The form can be viewed at www.acponline.org/authors/icmje/ConflictOfInterestForms.do?msNum=M16-1757.Corresponding Author: Susan Hingle, MD, SIU School of Medicine, 801 North Rutledge, MC 9628, Springfield, IL 62794-9628; e-mail, [email protected]edu.This article was published at www.annals.org on 6 September 2016. 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