Oncology News Central (ONC)Oncologists Have High EHR Burden, New Data Show

New Data Highlights the Struggle of Oncologists with EHR Systems

A recent study has shed light on the significant burden that Electronic Health Record (EHR) systems place on oncologists. The findings, which were published in JNCI Cancer Spectrum, reveal that oncologists face a higher EHR usage burden compared to other medical specialists.

HCN Medical Memo
The findings of this study underscore the need for optimization of EHR systems to better meet the needs of oncologists. It’s crucial to understand these challenges and work towards solutions that can reduce inefficiency, potentially reducing burnout and ultimately leading to better patient care.

Key Points

• The study analyzed EHR usage data from 349 ambulatory healthcare systems between January and August 2019.
• Oncologists spent less time in the EHR system per appointment but received more EHR results and system-generated messages per day than other medical specialists.
• Oncologists relied more on copy and paste for writing notes, an approach associated with inaccurate documentation.
• The higher usage is partly due to the longer time an oncologist interacts with each patient.
• The authors suggest trying oncology-specific ways to improve efficiency, such as improving workflows within the care team.

“This study more broadly is really triggering us to consider ‘How do we optimize the EHR for different types of practice?’ Because what might work for me as a primary care physician may not be the right thing for a radiation oncologist.”
– Lisa Rotenstein, MD, MBA, senior author of the study and medical director of ambulatory quality and safety at UCSF.

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