Together with the Harris Poll, Stanford Medicine introduces a new study on the primary care physicians’ (PCPs) perceptions of electronic health records (EHR) systems. Researchers invited 521 experts and conducted a survey between March 2 and March 27, 2018 (The Harris Poll). EHRs are characterized by such benefits as effective data storage to prevent and manage diseases, clinical decision support, and patient engagement. Despite the evident values of EHRs in health care practice, some improvements are required because of low professional satisfaction, time constraints, and poor clinical effectiveness. The goal of the project is to understand how to manage time and ensure that PCPs spend enough time with patients and use EHRs properly. Administrative functions are critical for modern hospitals, but they should never be developed at the expense of communication and cooperation.
Attention was paid to the current background of the problem and the necessity to examine available resources and patient needs. According to the authors, it is expected to define the conditions under which EHRs become more intuitive and responsive (The National Poll). The participants defined three ways: an improved interface design to reduce screen time, data entry shifts to support employees, and voice recording to add information during patient visits. However, it is important to consider possible obstacles in addition to the goals. In this case, they are cost, structure, and incentives, meaning the financial interests of healthcare organizations (The National Poll). Most employees admit burnout and ineffective technologies as the major challenges in their practice. It is not enough to make some technological improvements and promote education. The quality of care and the effectiveness of EHRs is determined by the ability to incorporate personal observations with digital resources.
Work Cited
The Harris Poll. “How Doctors Feel About Electronic Health Records.”Stanford Medicine.