Electronic medical record-related burnout in healthcare providers: a scoping review of outcomes and interventions

Closing the Chasm: Understanding and Addressing the Anesthesia Workforce Supply and Demand Imbalance

The imbalance in anesthesia workforce supply and demand has been exacerbated post-COVID due to a surge in demand for anesthesia care, especially in non-operating room anesthetizing sites, at a faster rate than the increase in anesthesia clinicians. The consequences of this imbalance or labor shortage compromise healthcare facilities, adversely affect the cost of care, worsen anesthesia workforce burnout, disrupt procedural and surgical schedules, and threaten academic missions and the ability to educate future anesthesiologists. In developing possible solutions, one must examine emerging trends that are affecting the anesthesia workforce, new technologies that will transform anesthesia care and the workforce, and financial considerations, including governmental payment policies. Possible practice solutions to this imbalance will require both short- and long-term multifactorial approaches that include increasing training positions and retention policies, improving capacity through innovations, leveraging technology, and addressing financial constraints.

The role of information systems in emergency department decision-making-a literature review

OBJECTIVES

Healthcare providers employ heuristic and analytical decision-making to navigate the high-stakes environment of the emergency department (ED). Despite the increasing integration of information systems (ISs), research on their efficacy is conflicting. Drawing on related fields, we investigate how timing and mode of delivery influence IS effectiveness. Our objective is to reconcile previous contradictory findings, shedding light on optimal IS design in the ED.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

We conducted a systematic review following PRISMA across PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science. We coded the ISs' timing as heuristic or analytical, their mode of delivery as active for automatic alerts and passive when requiring user-initiated information retrieval, and their effect on process, economic, and clinical outcomes.

RESULTS

Our analysis included 83 studies. During early heuristic decision-making, most active interventions were ineffective, while passive interventions generally improved outcomes. In the analytical phase, the effects were reversed. Passive interventions that facilitate information extraction consistently improved outcomes.

DISCUSSION

Our findings suggest that the effectiveness of active interventions negatively correlates with the amount of information received during delivery. During early heuristic decision-making, when information overload is high, physicians are unresponsive to alerts and proactively consult passive resources. In the later analytical phases, physicians show increased receptivity to alerts due to decreased diagnostic uncertainty and information quantity. Interventions that limit information lead to positive outcomes, supporting our interpretation.

CONCLUSION

We synthesize our findings into an integrated model that reveals the underlying reasons for conflicting findings from previous reviews and can guide practitioners in designing ISs in the ED.

Improving quality of care by standardising patient data collection in electronic medical records in an oncology department in Spain

BACKGROUND

Evaluation of quality of care in oncology is key in ensuring patients receive adequate treatment. American Society of Clinical Oncology's (ASCO) Quality Oncology Practice Initiative (QOPI) Certification Program (QCP) is an international initiative that evaluates quality of care in outpatient oncology practices.

METHODS

We retrospectively reviewed free-text electronic medical records from patients with breast cancer (BR), colorectal cancer (CRC) or non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). In a baseline measurement, high scores were obtained for the nine disease-specific measures of QCP Track (2021 version had 26 measures); thus, they were not further analysed. We evaluated two sets of measures: the remaining 17 QCP Track measures, as well as these plus other 17 measures selected by us (combined measures). Review of data from 58 patients (26 BR; 18 CRC; 14 NSCLC) seen in June 2021 revealed low overall quality scores (OQS)-below ASCO's 75% threshold-for QCP Track measures (46%) and combined measures (58%). We developed a plan to improve OQS and monitored the impact of the intervention by abstracting data at subsequent time points.

RESULTS

We evaluated potential causes for the low OQS and developed a plan to improve it over time by educating oncologists at our hospital on the importance of improving collection of measures and highlighting the goal of applying for QOPI certification. We conducted seven plan-do-study-act cycles and evaluated the scores at seven subsequent data abstraction time points from November 2021 to December 2022, reviewing 404 patients (199 BR; 114 CRC; 91 NSCLC). All measures were improved. Four months after the intervention, OQS surpassed the quality threshold and was maintained for 10 months until the end of the study (range, 78-87% for QCP Track measures; 78-86% for combined measures).

CONCLUSIONS

We developed an easy-to-implement intervention that achieved a fast improvement in OQS, enabling our Medical Oncology Department to aim for QOPI certification.

Evaluating the Prevalence of Burnout Among Health Care Professionals Related to Electronic Health Record Use: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

BACKGROUND

Burnout among health care professionals is a significant concern, with detrimental effects on health care service quality and patient outcomes. The use of the electronic health record (EHR) system has been identified as a significant contributor to burnout among health care professionals.

OBJECTIVE

This systematic review and meta-analysis aims to assess the prevalence of burnout among health care professionals associated with the use of the EHR system, thereby providing evidence to improve health information systems and develop strategies to measure and mitigate burnout.

METHODS

We conducted a comprehensive search of the PubMed, Embase, and Web of Science databases for English-language peer-reviewed articles published between January 1, 2009, and December 31, 2022. Two independent reviewers applied inclusion and exclusion criteria, and study quality was assessed using the Joanna Briggs Institute checklist and the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale. Meta-analyses were performed using R (version 4.1.3; R Foundation for Statistical Computing), with EndNote X7 (Clarivate) for reference management.

RESULTS

The review included 32 cross-sectional studies and 5 case-control studies with a total of 66,556 participants, mainly physicians and registered nurses. The pooled prevalence of burnout among health care professionals in cross-sectional studies was 40.4% (95% CI 37.5%-43.2%). Case-control studies indicated a higher likelihood of burnout among health care professionals who spent more time on EHR-related tasks outside work (odds ratio 2.43, 95% CI 2.31-2.57).

CONCLUSIONS

The findings highlight the association between the increased use of the EHR system and burnout among health care professionals. Potential solutions include optimizing EHR systems, implementing automated dictation or note-taking, employing scribes to reduce documentation burden, and leveraging artificial intelligence to enhance EHR system efficiency and reduce the risk of burnout.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

PROSPERO International Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews CRD42021281173; https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/display_record.php?ID=CRD42021281173.

Engagement in GI Behavioral Health Is Associated with Reduced Portal Messages, Phone Calls, and ED Visits

BACKGROUND AND AIMS

Chronic digestive disorders are associated with increased costs for healthcare systems and often require provision of both urgent care and non-face-to-face (non-F2F) care, such as responding to patient messages. Numerous benefits of integrated gastroenterology (GI) behavioral health have been identified; however, it is unclear if integrated care impacts healthcare utilization, including urgent care and non-F2F contact. We sought to investigate the association between patient engagement with GI behavioral health and healthcare utilization.

METHODS

We performed a retrospective chart review study of adult patients who were referred for and completed at least one behavioral health appointment between January 1, 2019 and December 21, 2021 in the Gastroenterology and Hepatology department of a large academic medical center. Data on electronic medical record (EMR) messages, phone calls, and Emergency Department utilization were collected 6 months before and 9 months after patient engagement with GI behavioral health.

RESULTS

466 adult patients completed at least one behavioral health visit from 2019 to 2021. Overall, messages, phone calls, and ED visits all decreased significantly from the 6 months before behavioral health treatment to 6 months after (all P values < 0.001).

CONCLUSION

Engagement with integrated GI behavioral health is associated with reduced non-F2F care and emergency department utilization in patients with chronic digestive disorders. Increasing access to GI behavioral health may result in reduced provider workload and healthcare system costs.

Challenges and Potential of Artificial Intelligence in Neuroradiology

PURPOSE

Artificial intelligence (AI) has emerged as a transformative force in medical research and is garnering increased attention in the public consciousness. This represents a critical time period in which medical researchers, healthcare providers, insurers, regulatory agencies, and patients are all developing and shaping their beliefs and policies regarding the use of AI in the healthcare sector. The successful deployment of AI will require support from all these groups. This commentary proposes that widespread support for medical AI must be driven by clear and transparent scientific reporting, beginning at the earliest stages of scientific research.

METHODS

A review of relevant guidelines and literature describing how scientific reporting plays a central role at key stages in the life cycle of an AI software product was conducted. To contextualize this principle within a specific medical domain, we discuss the current state of predictive tissue outcome modeling in acute ischemic stroke and the unique challenges presented therein.

RESULTS AND CONCLUSION

Translating AI methods from the research to the clinical domain is complicated by challenges related to model design and validation studies, medical product regulations, and healthcare providers' reservations regarding AI's efficacy and affordability. However, each of these limitations is also an opportunity for high-impact research that will help to accelerate the clinical adoption of state-of-the-art medical AI. In all cases, establishing and adhering to appropriate reporting standards is an important responsibility that is shared by all of the parties involved in the life cycle of a prospective AI software product.

Enhancing data practices for Whole Health: Strategies for a transformative future

We explored the challenges and solutions for managing data within the Whole Health System (WHS), which operates as a Learning Health System and a patient-centered healthcare approach that combines conventional and complementary approaches. Addressing these challenges is critical for enhancing patient care and improving outcomes within WHS. The proposed solutions include prioritizing interoperability for seamless data exchange, incorporating patient-centered comparative clinical effectiveness research and real-world data to personalize treatment plans and validate integrative approaches, and leveraging advanced data analytics tools to incorporate patient-reported outcomes, objective metrics, robust data platforms. Implementing these measures will enable WHS to fulfill its mission as a holistic and patient-centered healthcare model, promoting greater collaboration among providers, boosting the well-being of patients and providers, and improving patient outcomes.

Primary Care Physician Preferences Regarding Communication from Orthopaedic Surgeons

BACKGROUND

Musculoskeletal consultations constitute a growing portion of primary care physician (PCP) referrals. Optimizing communication between PCPs and orthopaedists can potentially reduce time spent in the electronic medical record (EMR) as well as physician burnout. Little is known about the preferences of PCPs regarding communication from orthopaedic surgeons. Hence, the present study investigated, across a large health network, the preferences of PCPs regarding communication from orthopaedists.

METHODS

A total of 175 PCPs across 15 practices within our health network were surveyed. These providers universally utilized Epic as their EMR platform. Five-point, labeled Likert scales were utilized to assess the PCP-perceived importance of communication from orthopaedists in specific clinical scenarios. PCPs were further asked to report their preferred method of communication in each scenario and their overall interest in communication from orthopaedists. Logistic regression analyses were performed to determine whether any PCP characteristics were associated with the preferred method of communication and the overall PCP interest in communication from orthopaedists.

RESULTS

A total of 107 PCPs (61.1%) responded to the survey. PCPs most commonly rated communication from orthopaedists as highly important in the scenario of an orthopaedist needing information from the PCP. In this scenario, PCPs preferred to receive an Epic Staff Message. Scenarios involving a recommendation for surgery, hospitalization, or a major clinical change were also rated as highly important. In these scenarios, an Epic CC'd Chart rather than a Staff Message was preferred. Increased after-hours EMR use was associated with diminished odds of having a high interest in communication from orthopaedists (odds ratio, 0.65; 95% confidence interval, 0.48 to 0.88; p = 0.005). Ninety-three PCPs (86.9%) reported spending 1 to 1.5 hours or more per day in Epic after normal clinical hours, and 27 (25.2%) spent >3 hours per day. Forty-six PCPs (43.0%) reported experiencing ≥1 symptom of burnout.

CONCLUSIONS

There were distinct preferences among PCPs regarding clinical communication from orthopaedic surgeons. There was also evidence of substantial burnout and after-hours work effort by PCPs. These results may help to optimize communication between PCPs and orthopaedists while reducing the amount of time that PCPs spend in the EMR.

Replacing the Scalpel With a Computer Mouse: An Evaluation of Time Spent on Electronic Health Record for Plastic Surgery Residents and Its Impact on Resident Training

BACKGROUND

Following the integration of the electronic health record (EHR) into the healthcare system, concern has grown regarding EHR use on physician well-being. For surgical residents, time spent on the EHR increases the burden of a demanding, hourly restricted schedule and detracts from time spent honing surgical skills. To better characterize these burdens, we sought to describe EHR utilization patterns for plastic surgery residents.

METHODS

Integrated plastic surgery resident EHR utilization from March 2019 to March 2020 was extracted via Cerner Analytics at a tertiary academic medical center. Time spent in the EHR on-duty (0600-1759) and off-duty (1800-0559) in the form of chart review, orders, documentation, and patient discovery was analyzed. Statistical analysis was performed in the form of independent t tests and Analysis of Variance (ANOVA).

RESULTS

Twelve plastic surgery residents spent a daily average of 94 ± 84 minutes on the EHR, one-third of which was spent off-duty. Juniors (postgraduate years 1-3) spent 123 ± 99 minutes versus seniors (postgraduate years 4-6) who spent 61 ± 49 minutes (P < 0.01). Seniors spent 19% of time on the EHR off-duty, compared with 37% for juniors (P < 0.01). Chart review comprised the majority (42%) of EHR usage, followed by patient discovery (22%), orders (14%), documentation (12%), other (6%), and messaging (1%). Seniors spent more time on patient discovery (25% vs 21%, P < 0.001), while juniors spent more time performing chart review (48% vs 36%, P = 0.19).

CONCLUSION

Integrated plastic surgery residents average 1.5 hours on the EHR daily. Junior residents spend 1 hour more per day on the EHR, including more time off-duty and more time performing chart review. These added hours may play a role in duty hour violations and detract from obtaining operative skill sets.

Resident-Driven Clinical Decision Support Governance to Improve the Utility of Clinical Decision Support

OBJECTIVES

 This resident-driven quality improvement project aimed to better understand the known problem of a misaligned clinical decision support (CDS) strategy and improve CDS utilization.

METHODS

 An internal survey was sent to all internal medicine (IM) residents to identify the most bothersome CDS alerts. Survey results were supported by electronic health record (EHR) data of CDS firing rates and response rates which were collected for each of the three most bothersome CDS tools. Changes to firing criteria were created to increase utilization and to better align with the five rights of CDS. Findings and proposed changes were presented to our institution's CDS Governance Committee. Changes were approved and implemented. Postintervention firing rates were then collected for 1 week.

RESULTS

 Twenty nine residents participated in the CDS survey and identified sepsis alerts, lipid profile reminders, and telemetry renewals to be the most bothersome alerts. EHR data showed action rates for these CDS as low as 1%. We implemented changes to focus emergency department (ED)-based sepsis alerts to the right provider, better address the right information for lipid profile reminders, and select the right time in workflow for telemetry renewals to be most effective. With these changes we successfully eliminated ED-based sepsis CDS reminders for IM providers, saw a 97% reduction in firing rates for the lipid profile CDS, and noted a 55% reduction in firing rates for telemetry CDS.

CONCLUSION

 This project highlighted that alert improvements spearheaded by resident teams can be completed successfully using robust CDS governance strategies and can effectively optimize interruptive alerts.

National survey of user-reported usability of electronic medical record software in ophthalmology in Germany

PURPOSE

A nationwide, comparative survey of the physician-reported usability of electronic medical record (EMR) software used by ophthalmologists in Germany using the System Usability Scale (SUS) as a standardized metric.

METHODS

A cross-sectional survey of members of the German Ophthalmological Society (DOG) and professional association of ophthalmologists (BVA) was conducted in May 2022. All 7788 physician members of both societies were invited to participate in an anonymous online-survey by individualized links. User-reported usability of the participants main software used for electronic medical recordkeeping was assessed using the SUS (range 0-100).

RESULTS

A total of 881 participants with 51 different EMRs completed the entire questionnaire. Mean EMR-SUS score was 65.7 (SD ± 23.5). Significant differences in mean SUS of several EMR programs were observed with a range of 31.5 to 87.2 in programs with 10 or more responses. 31.8% of all main program SUS ratings were below 50 points. Female gender was associated with 4.02 higher SUS score (95% CI 0.46-7.59). Main program SUS was positively correlated with overall work-related satisfaction and work environment SUS but negatively correlated with the number of programs in the work environment. The SUS of the entire digital work environment including all programs used daily was closely correlated with the main EMR SUS, but not the number of programs used.

CONCLUSION

Our survey revealed a fragmented pattern of EMR use by ophthalmologists in Germany with many competing software products and widely diverging mean System Usability Scale scores. A considerable share of ophthalmologists report EMR usability below what is commonly considered acceptable.

Artificial intelligence-enabled penicillin allergy delabelling: an implementation study

Inaccurate penicillin allergy labels may be delabelled following evaluation. The intervention in this study was an email-based notification system regarding the appropriateness for penicillin allergy evaluation, with a view to delabelling, as identified by a deep learning artificial intelligence algorithm. Of the intervention group (n = 59), three (5.1%) individuals had their penicillin allergies delabelled, which was significantly more than the control group (0%, P = 0.002). Further research to optimise such approaches is required.

Experience of Health Care Professionals Using Digital Tools in the Hospital: Qualitative Systematic Review

BACKGROUND

The digitalization of health care has many potential benefits, but it may also negatively impact health care professionals' well-being. Burnout can, in part, result from inefficient work processes related to the suboptimal implementation and use of health information technologies. Although strategies to reduce stress and mitigate clinician burnout typically involve individual-based interventions, emerging evidence suggests that improving the experience of using health information technologies can have a notable impact.

OBJECTIVE

The aim of this systematic review was to collect evidence of the benefits and challenges associated with the use of digital tools in hospital settings with a particular focus on the experiences of health care professionals using these tools.

METHODS

We conducted a systematic literature review following the PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses) guidelines to explore the experience of health care professionals with digital tools in hospital settings. Using a rigorous selection process to ensure the methodological quality and validity of the study results, we included qualitative studies with distinct data that described the experiences of physicians and nurses. A panel of 3 independent researchers performed iterative data analysis and identified thematic constructs.

RESULTS

Of the 1175 unique primary studies, we identified 17 (1.45%) publications that focused on health care professionals' experiences with various digital tools in their day-to-day practice. Of the 17 studies, 10 (59%) focused on clinical decision support tools, followed by 6 (35%) studies focusing on electronic health records and 1 (6%) on a remote patient-monitoring tool. We propose a theoretical framework for understanding the complex interplay between the use of digital tools, experience, and outcomes. We identified 6 constructs that encompass the positive and negative experiences of health care professionals when using digital tools, along with moderators and outcomes. Positive experiences included feeling confident, responsible, and satisfied, whereas negative experiences included frustration, feeling overwhelmed, and feeling frightened. Positive moderators that may reinforce the use of digital tools included sufficient training and adequate workflow integration, whereas negative moderators comprised unfavorable social structures and the lack of training. Positive outcomes included improved patient care and increased workflow efficiency, whereas negative outcomes included increased workload, increased safety risks, and issues with information quality.

CONCLUSIONS

Although positive and negative outcomes and moderators that may affect the use of digital tools were commonly reported, the experiences of health care professionals, such as their thoughts and emotions, were less frequently discussed. On the basis of this finding, this study highlights the need for further research specifically targeting experiences as an important mediator of clinician well-being. It also emphasizes the importance of considering differences in the nature of specific tools as well as the profession and role of individual users.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

PROSPERO CRD42023393883; https://tinyurl.com/2htpzzxj.

A narrative review of the physiology and health effects of burnout associated with veterinarian-pertinent occupational stressors

Chronic workplace stress and burnout are serious problems in veterinary medicine. Although not classified as a medical condition, burnout can affect sleep patterns and contributes to chronic low grade systemic inflammation, autonomic imbalance, hormonal imbalances and immunodeficiencies, thereby increasing the risks of physical and psychological ill health in affected individuals. Cultural misconceptions in the profession often lead to perceptions of burnout as a personal failure, ideas that healthcare professionals are somehow at lower risk for suffering, and beliefs that affected individuals can or should somehow heal themselves. However, these concepts are antiquated, harmful and incorrect, preventing the design of appropriate solutions for this serious and growing challenge to the veterinary profession. Veterinarians must first correctly identify the nature of the problem and understand its causes and impacts before rational solutions can be implemented. In this first part of two companion reviews, burnout will be defined, pathophysiology discussed, and healthcare and veterinary-relevant occupational stressors that lead to burnout identified.

Improving health care efficiency one click at a time

Computers are an integral component of modern hospitals. Mouse clicks are currently inherent to this use of computers. However, mouse clicks are not instantaneous. These clicks may be associated with significant costs. Estimated costs associated with 10 additional clicks per day for 20 000 staff exceed AU$500 000 annually. Workflow modifications that increase clicks should weigh the potential benefits of such changes against these costs. Future investigation of strategies to reduce low-value clicks may provide an avenue for health care savings.

Types of Digital-Based Nursing Interventions for Reducing Stress and Depression Symptoms on Adolescents During COVID-19 Pandemic: A Scoping Review

COVID-19 pandemic can cause problems in adolescent mental health such as anxiety, depression, and stress. This is because the distance barrier becomes an obstacle in handling mental health in adolescents. The use of technology has the potential to deal with mental health problems. The purpose of this study was to describe the types of digital-based nursing interventions to reduce symptoms of stress and depression on adolescents during the COVID-19 pandemic. This study used the Scoping Review method. Literature from CINAHL, PubMed, and ProQuest databases. The keywords were adolescent, depression, stress, digital, application, and nursing intervention in English. The criteria for articles in this study were full-text articles, the sample of adolescents, digital-based intervention, articles are original research, and time setting 2018-2022. We found 11 articles discussing digital-based nursing interventions to reduce symptoms of stress and depression in adolescents. There are 2 types of intervention, namely mobile-based intervention, and web-based intervention. The two interventions can be combined to become a method of providing digital nursing interventions that are effective and can reach the entire community. Digital-based nursing interventions are carried out by paying attention to physical, psychological, spiritual, and cultural aspects to improve the goals of nursing care so that they can be significant in reducing stress and depression in adolescents during the Covid-19 pandemic. Digital-based nursing interventions consisting of mobile-based intervention and web-based intervention can improve mental health among adolescents by reducing stress, anxiety, depression, and increasing resilience, well-being, and self-efficacy.

LGBTQ+ Identity and Ophthalmologist Burnout

PURPOSE

To evaluate lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, questioning, and other sexual/gender minority (LGBTQ+) orientation as a burnout risk factor among an international ophthalmologist cohort.

METHODS

An anonymous, cross-sectional electronic survey was distributed via an Internet platform to characterize the relationship among demographic factors, including LGBTQ+ orientation, and burnout as measured by the Copenhagen Burnout Inventory (CBI). Univariable data analysis (linear) by sexual orientation was performed and variables with an association with a P value of <0.15 in univariable analysis were included in the multiple linear regression modeling.

RESULTS

A total of 403 ophthalmologists participated in the survey. The majority self-identified as "White" (69.2%), were from North America (72.0% United States, 18.6% Canada) and were evenly distributed between age of 30 and 65 years. Overall, 13.2% of participants identified as LGBTQ+ and 98.2% as cisgender. Approximately 12% had witnessed or experienced LGBTQ+-related workplace discrimination or harassment. The personal and work-related burnout scores and confidence limits of persons identified as LGBTQ+ were higher and nonoverlapping compared with those reported as non-LGBTQ+. Multivariable analysis identified significant risk factors for higher personal and work-related burnout scores: LGBTQ+ (11.8 and 11.1, P = .0005 and .0023), female gender (5.36 and 4.83, P = .0153 and .0434), older age (19.1 and 19.2, P = .0173 and .0273). and caretaker stress (6.42 and 5.97, P = .0085 and .0239).

CONCLUSIONS

LGBTQ+ orientation is a burnout risk factor among ophthalmologists, and LGBTQ+ workplace discrimination may be a contributing factor. Support from ophthalmology organizations to address LGBTQ+-, gender-, and age-related workplace discrimination may decrease burnout. NOTE: Publication of this article is sponsored by the American Ophthalmological Society.