Physicians of all practice settings have issues with the EHR, but their primary concern may differ.
In the study, Providence- R.I.-based Brown University and Healthcentric Advisors researchers surveyed providers, asking, "How does using an EHR affect your interaction with patients?" Of those polled, 744 physicians submitted responses.
Researchers found hospital-based physicians' primary complaint was EHRs leaving physician with less face time with patients. However, office-based physicians said EHRs negatively impact quality of their patient interactions.
Rebekah Gardner, MD, study co-author, said, "Physicians who are burnt out provide lower-quality care. What this speaks to is that we, as physicians, need to demand a rethinking of how quality is measured and if we're really getting the quality we hoped when we put in EHRs. There are unintended consequences of measuring quality as it's currently being done."