Electronic Health Record Use and Perceptions among Urologic Surgeons

Area of Science:

• Urology
• Health Informatics
• Surgical Specialties

Background:

• Electronic health records (EHRs) are increasingly adopted in healthcare to enhance care delivery.
• Specialty-specific challenges can impact EHR usability and surgeon engagement.
• Urology, a diverse surgical field, faces unique issues with EHR implementation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To examine the utilization and perceptions of EHRs among urologic surgeons.
• To identify factors influencing EHR use and satisfaction within the urology specialty.

Main Methods:

• A national, sequential explanatory mixed methods study was conducted.
• Survey data from 2,159 urologic surgeons (96.4% EHR users) were analyzed.
• Qualitative thematic analysis of interviews with 25 urologists integrated survey findings.

Main Results:

• Over 90% of urologic surgeons use EHRs for core functions like charting and order entry.
• Only 35.8% perceived EHRs as increasing clinical efficiency; 43.1% agreed they improve patient care.
• EHR use and perceptions differed by years in practice and practice type, favoring newer surgeons and academic/multispecialty settings.

Conclusions:

• Despite widespread adoption, EHRs elicit mixed feelings among urologic surgeons, particularly those in private or smaller practices.
• Enhancing EHRs requires reducing administrative burden and improving information management.
• Future efforts should prioritize surgeon engagement to optimize EHR implementation and user experience, especially in community settings.