There are many reasons contributing to physician burnout these days: technology, regulation, and reimbursement being just a few among them. A nine-step EHR optimization program may be the answer to all that. Employed at Memorial Hospital of Gulfport, Mississippi, this program works to reduce EHR use inadequacy, mainly at the times when physicians are recording patient encounters.
A recent interview with David Northington, MD, Memorial Hospital of Gulfport, focused on how these factors are contributing to physician burnout, and how the hospital is solving the problem thorough the use of system-wide EHR optimization.
In the current day, CEHRT still has many changes to bring in so that it can function as an adequately useful tool for physicians. Still, its usefulness rests on the capability of collating patient data from different sources, and creating a navigable format, which doesn’t require too much time to serve up relevant information, at the time of patient face-to-face encounters.
Getting the best results requires working closely with your EHR provider. Efficiency is a vital factor, ensuring that the patient chart gets done on time, and that a patient will have the information ready when they show up for treatment. This also translates to improved A/R time, as well as revenue cycle time. Additionally, it streamlines hospital operations and makes data more accessible to the concerned parties.
The nine-step program at Memorial Hospital uses an advance mechanism that evaluates individual physicians and practices. It aids physicians in finishing up patient charts in real-time, so they don’t have to work past normal hours filling in the information.
Northington opined that the functionality of EHR is still budding, and explained this as a practicing hospitalist. Before visiting a patient in their room, there is the matter of bringing up and reviewing any notes other physicians have made about them. This is followed by visiting the patient and talking about the findings, concerns and other aspects of their condition. After this, the physician has to revisit the chart and begin ordering and documenting.
All of that adds up to thrice the work involved, which is a significant share of the reason why physicians are easily overworked. The next generation of the EHR should be able to preclude that, and if so, it would contribute heavily to the provider’s return on investment.