Event Title
Physician Office EHR Useability and Patient Safety Study
Description
PURPOSE: Healthcare organizations may reap substantial benefits when transitioning to electronic health records (EHRs), such as decreased healthcare costs and better care. However, severe unintended consequences from implementation and design of these systems have emerged. Poorly implemented EHR systems may endanger the integrity of clinical or administrative data. That in turn can lead to errors that may jeopardize patient safety or decrease quality of care. In addition, poor design quality of EHRs can significantly increase the mental workload of clinicians, thereby increasing frustration, reducing user satisfaction, and causing unproductive workarounds. PROCEDURES: Our literature review identified how EHR implementation and design, especially in the hospital setting, can impact clinical use, workload, patient safety, and quality. EHR reviews have primarily focused on hospital settings although most patient interactions take place in physician offices. Therefore, our study focuses on ambulatory and outpatient settings. From our review we developed a survey addressed to providers and support staff. We first administered the electronic survey that was followed by physician office focus group interviews to assess the benefits and shortcomings of current EHR implementation on EHR useability and patient safety. OUTCOME: Preliminary results indicate that similar issues as found in the hospital environment are pertinent in private practices as well. The study has been interrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic. IMPACT: Assessing the implementation of these EHR has the potential to greatly improve population health.
Physician Office EHR Useability and Patient Safety Study
PURPOSE: Healthcare organizations may reap substantial benefits when transitioning to electronic health records (EHRs), such as decreased healthcare costs and better care. However, severe unintended consequences from implementation and design of these systems have emerged. Poorly implemented EHR systems may endanger the integrity of clinical or administrative data. That in turn can lead to errors that may jeopardize patient safety or decrease quality of care. In addition, poor design quality of EHRs can significantly increase the mental workload of clinicians, thereby increasing frustration, reducing user satisfaction, and causing unproductive workarounds. PROCEDURES: Our literature review identified how EHR implementation and design, especially in the hospital setting, can impact clinical use, workload, patient safety, and quality. EHR reviews have primarily focused on hospital settings although most patient interactions take place in physician offices. Therefore, our study focuses on ambulatory and outpatient settings. From our review we developed a survey addressed to providers and support staff. We first administered the electronic survey that was followed by physician office focus group interviews to assess the benefits and shortcomings of current EHR implementation on EHR useability and patient safety. OUTCOME: Preliminary results indicate that similar issues as found in the hospital environment are pertinent in private practices as well. The study has been interrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic. IMPACT: Assessing the implementation of these EHR has the potential to greatly improve population health.