Electronic health record functionality needed to better support primary care.

Area of Science:

• Health Informatics
• Primary Care Medicine
• Health Services Research

Background:

• Clinician dissatisfaction with current electronic health records (EHRs) persists despite their importance in primary care.
• Existing EHR functionalities often fail to support the holistic needs of primary care practice and patient care.
• Meaningful Use (MU) objectives have historically prioritized disease-specific documentation over comprehensive patient well-being.

Purpose of the Study:

• To present a consensus statement on critical gaps in current EHR capabilities for primary care.
• To outline necessary enhancements for EHRs to better support primary care clinicians and patients.
• To align EHR development with the core attributes of primary care and evolving healthcare needs.

Main Methods:

• Utilized the Institute of Medicine's primary care attributes to define essential EHR needs.
• Applied Meaningful Use (MU) objectives to assess current EHR functionality.
• Synthesized expert consensus on desired EHR improvements for primary care settings.

Main Results:

• Current EHRs inadequately address the whole person, neglecting personal risks, behaviors, and socio-environmental factors.
• Primary care requires EHRs that facilitate information interpretation, longitudinal tracking, patient engagement, and team-based care.
• Reduced documentation burden and enhanced population management tools are essential.
• Stage 3 MU's outcomes focus is positive, but requires further EHR modifications, patient portal expansion, and system integration.

Conclusions:

• Significant enhancements in EHR functionality are imperative to meet the complex demands of modern primary care.
• Future EHR development must shift from mere documentation to comprehensive patient management and support for team-based, patient-centered care.
• Advancing national infrastructure, policies, and seamless integration are key to realizing improved EHR utility in primary care.