EHR busy work cuts into physicians’ weekends
A recent study showed physicians spend nearly 30 hours per month with electronic health record (EHRs) after working hours, with weekend activity peaking around 10 a.m. and 10 p.m.
In an NEJM Catalyst article titled “Date Night with the EHR,” Christine A. Sinsky, MD, the vice president of professional satisfaction at the American Medical Association, points out this is a common problem with similar data in other studies.
“For many physicians, weekends that should belong to romance, children, culture, healing or sleep are intruded upon by the ever-present Epic, Cerner, Athena or whichever EHR their organization uses. How can we address this?” she wrote.
Sinsky said the responsibility lies with everyone involved to come up with a solution to improve work-life balance and reduce physician burnout. Vendors, regulators, payers and institutional leaders could all play a role, but doctors must speak up as well, she wrote.
“Physicians can draw a line and say, for the sake of our patients and our families, we can no longer spend the majority of our days doing work that does not require the training society has invested in us. I want my doctor to love her job, and enjoy her weekends,” Sinsky wrote.
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Daniel joined TriMed’s Chicago editorial team in 2017 as a Cardiovascular Business writer. He previously worked as a writer for daily newspapers in North Dakota and Indiana.