Electronic Health Records, Medical Practice Problems, and Physician Distress

This study assessed direct and indirect associations between problems with electronic health records (EHRs) and physician distress via problems encountered during the day-to-day practice of medicine and access to social support.

One-hundred and ninety physicians in the state of Nevada completed an online survey in spring of 2019 regarding problems with EHRs, their medical practice, social support, and mental health. A parallel mediator model was tested with 10,000 bias-corrected bootstrap samples to assess associations between EHRs and distress directly and indirectly via medical practice problems and social support.

Frequency of EHR problems was positively associated with problems with the day-to-day practice of medicine, and negatively associated with access to social support. Medical practice problems were positively associated with physician distress, and social support was negatively associated with it. Mediation analyses suggest that EHR problems indirectly affect physician distress via problems encountered during the practice of medicine and social support.

Physician wellbeing is a critical priority for health care. This study suggests that reducing EHR problems may improve physician well-being directly and indirectly by addressing problems in the practice of medicine that compound mental health effects of EHRs. Suggestions for improving the integration of EHRs into medical practice are discussed.