Physician Opinions about EHR Use by EHR Experience and by Whether the Practice had optimized its EHR Use

Area of Science:

• Health Informatics
• Medical Practice Management
• Physician Experience

Background:

• Electronic Health Records (EHRs) are widely adopted in healthcare.
• Physician satisfaction with EHRs is often impacted by usability and optimization.
• Understanding factors influencing physician perception of EHRs is crucial for improving healthcare delivery.

Purpose of the Study:

• To examine physician opinions on EHR-related impacts.
• To determine how optimized EHR use and length of EHR experience affect these opinions.
• To identify key factors influencing physician satisfaction with EHR systems.

Main Methods:

• Analysis of nationally representative physician data (n=1,471) from the National Electronic Health Records Survey extended survey.
• Logistic regression models to assess associations between EHR experience, optimized EHR use, and EHR-related impacts.
• Examination of physician-reported administrative burden and overall EHR impact.

Main Results:

• Over 70% of physicians attribute administrative burdens to EHR use.
• Physicians with 4+ years of EHR experience constitute 58% of users; 71% self-report optimized EHR use.
• Increased EHR experience and optimized EHR use correlate with more positive physician opinions on EHR impacts.

Conclusions:

• Longer experience with EHRs enhances physician perceptions of their benefits.
• Perceived optimization of EHR use is critical for realizing EHR-related advantages.
• Reducing EHR-related administrative burden requires further attention and innovative solutions.