Exploring Provider Perceptions and Attitudes toward Copy-Paste and Copy-Forward in Clinical Documentation.

Area of Science:

• Health Informatics
• Medical Documentation
• Electronic Health Records (EHRs)

Background:

• Copy-paste (CP) and copy-forward (CF) are prevalent tools in EHR systems, intended to enhance provider efficiency.
• However, these tools may contribute to increased documentation burden, note bloat, and potential errors, with limited understanding of provider perceptions.
• Provider perspectives on the impact of CP and CF on documentation quality and efficiency remain underexplored.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate provider perceptions and self-reported usage patterns of CP and CF.
• To analyze how these tools affect clinical documentation quality and efficiency across various clinical environments and provider roles.
• To understand provider attitudes towards the future use of CP and CF.

Main Methods:

• A survey was developed and administered to medical students, trainees, and faculty at a large academic medical center.
• The survey collected data on documentation practices, perceived benefits and risks of CP/CF, and future use attitudes.
• Quantitative and qualitative analyses were performed on data from 913 respondents.

Main Results:

• High utilization of CP (82%) and CF (52%) was reported, with significant variation by clinical environment (e.g., highest in inpatient primary services, lowest in EDs).
• Most providers (86%) believed CP/CF improved efficiency, yet a majority acknowledged that these tools worsened documentation errors.
• Providers preferred copying their own notes (90% CP, 82% CF) over others' notes (61% CP, 47% CF).

Conclusions:

• Self-reported use of CP and CF is high, driven by perceived efficiency gains, despite awareness of associated documentation errors and note bloat.
• Usage patterns and perceptions of CP/CF differ across practice environments, indicating a need for nuanced, workflow-specific solutions.
• Future interventions should balance documentation quality with efficiency, considering the specific practice environment and provider role.