Study: Most physicians say EHRs have not improved efficiency, patient care
More than 75 percent of physicians say EHRs have not made them more efficient, and not even one-third (33 percent) say EHRs have improved care quality.
Those are the findings of a poll of 20,000 physicians commissioned by The Physicians Foundation. It also found that, while 85 percent of docs had implemented EMRs, nearly half (47 percent) of respondents said that the systems detract from patient interaction.
These and other changes impacting healthcare have many physicians changing their future plans. More than 80 percent of physicians say they are over-extended or at full capacity, while only 19 percent indicate they have time to see more patients, according to the poll. Forty-four percent plan to take steps that would reduce patient access to their services, including cutting back on patients seen, retiring, working part-time, closing their practice to new patients or seeking non-clinical jobs.
Thirty-nine percent of physicians said they will accelerate their retirement plans due to changes in the healthcare system.
The poll also found that about one-quarter (26 percent) of physicians now participate in an accountable care organization (ACO), but just 13 percent believe ACOs will enhance quality and decrease costs.
Half of the respondents said the ICD-10 switchover will cause "severe administrative problems" for their practices.
Physicians said they spend 20 percent of their time on non-clinical paperwork and work an average of 53 hours per week and see approximately 20 patients per day.
"The state of the physician workforce, and medicine in general, is experiencing a period of massive transition,” said Lou Goodman, PhD, president of the Physicians Foundation and CEO of the Texas Medical Association, in a statement.
"While I am troubled that a majority of physicians are pessimistic about the state of medicine, I am heartened by the fact that 71 percent of physicians would still choose to be a physician if they had to do it over, while nearly 80 percent describe patient relationships as the most satisfying factor about practicing medicine."
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Editor Beth earned a bachelor’s degree in journalism and master’s in health communication. She has worked in hospital, academic and publishing settings over the past 20 years. Beth joined TriMed in 2005, as editor of CMIO and Clinical Innovation + Technology. When not covering all things related to health IT, she spends time with her husband and three children.