Gender Differences in Electronic Medical Record Usage Between Plastic Surgeons at a Single Institution

The electronic medical record (EMR) has many benefits but has been shown to be a source of burnout for physicians. Data suggest that female physicians in ambulatory medicine spend more time using the EMR than male physicians, though this has yet to be studied in the surgical setting. This study aimed to analyze EMR usage patterns between male and female plastic surgeons at a single institution.

Thirteen attending plastic surgeons at a single institution were included in this study. EMR usage data were extracted from Epic from December 2021 to December 2022. Extracted variables included time spent on messages, precharting, notes, orders, the in-basket feature, and total usage during and outside the workday. Demographic analysis was performed, and a univariate regression model was used to compare variables between groups.

Three surgeons were women, and 10 were men. Female plastic surgeons spent 18.9 seconds longer on each message in the EMR (P < 0.05) and 5.52 minutes longer using the in-basket feature compared with male surgeons (P < 0.05). Additionally, female surgeons spent 15.3 more minutes on notes (P < 0.05).

Female plastic surgeons spend significantly more time on messages with patients and staff and spend more time in notes than their male counterparts. In our study, these differences reflected nearly 2 additional hours/wk spent on EMR usage. Because workload related to the EMR may contribute to burnout, institutions can work with physicians to recognize time spent on required documentation and identify ways to improve efficiency.