Obstetrician/gynecologists' experiences with electronic health record systems: a narrative study

To explore the experiences of obstetrician/gynecologists (ob/gyns) with regard to the use of electronic health record (EHR) systems in practice.

Surveys were mailed to 1,200 ob/gyns, with an overall response rate of 57.2%, 402 of whom currently use an EHR system. The survey included questions about the physicians' use of EHR systems as well as what features they found most or least helpful. In addition, a focus group of 6 practicing ob/gyns at a university-based hospital was conducted in which they were encouraged to give free responses about their experiences working with EHR systems. Responses from surveys and the focus group were analyzed for frequency by the investigators.

The majority of ob/gyns who used an EHR reported being satisfied with that system (61.4%). The most commonly reported impediments to EHR use were time needed, ineffective templates, note quality, interference with patient interactions, and expense. The most commonly cited positives were electronic medication prescription (e-scribing) capabilities, efficiency, and ease of access to notes, including legibility.

In spite of increased adoption of EHR systems, more work is needed to improve ob/gyn satisfaction with EHR systems.