Novel electronic health record (EHR) education intervention in large healthcare organization improves quality, efficiency, time, and impact on burnout

A novel approach to advanced electronic health record (EHR) skills training was developed in a large healthcare organization to improve high-quality EHR documentation, while reducing stressors linked to physician burnout. The 3-day intensive EHR education intervention covered best practices in EHR documentation and physician well-being. The specialty physician faculty used interactive teaching including demonstration, facilitation, and individual coaching. Laptops were provided for hands-on practice. Mixed-method evaluation included real-time feedback, daily surveys, and post-activity surveys to measure participant learning and satisfaction, and also collection of performance data from the EHR to measure use of order sets designed to improve quality of care. Since 2014, 46 trainings were held with 3500 physicians. Most physicians (85%–98% across all programs) reported improved quality, readability, and clinical accuracy of documentation; fewer medical errors; and increased efficiency in chart review and data retrieval due to the training. Seventy-eight per cent estimated a time savings of 4 to 5 minutes or more per hour. Physician performance data from the EHR showed significant improvement in use of order sets for several critical health conditions such as sepsis, stroke, and chest pain of possible cardiac cause. This advanced EHR training for physicians was well-received and improved physicians’ use of several order sets designed to improve quality of care. EHR training programs such as this may have impact on the safety, quality, accuracy, and timeliness of care and may also help reduce physician burnout by improving critical skills and reducing time interfacing with all aspects of a patient's health record.