Overcoming EHR Challenges - Improving Efficiency, Usability, and Care Quality
Physicians spend an average of 2.6 hours daily on clerical tasks, equivalent to caring for nine patients, according to McKinsey & Company. Electronic Health Record (EHR) systems are built to reduce this kind of administrative burden for providers, making healthcare more efficient and effective.
Then, there is the reality of what’s really happening in today’s practices.
Instead of a seamless tool, healthcare providers and staff often face a complex system that can cause more problems than it helps. Poor usability, complicated navigation, and limited options for customization can slow things down, reducing practice efficiency and productivity.
But in the face of challenge, also comes opportunity.
Choosing an EHR with a user-friendly design, flexible customization, and smooth integration can address these challenges and make a significant difference in how efficiently your practice runs.
Join us as we explore the top EHR challenges practices face today and provide actionable strategies to overcome them through better usability, integration, and adoption.
Key Takeaways:
- Healthcare providers face considerable challenges with EHR systems, like poor usability and limited options for customization.
- Workflow disruptions and trouble sharing data between systems often cause delays in patient care and add extra admin work.
- Choosing an EHR with a user-friendly design, flexible customization, and smooth integration can make a huge difference in how efficiently your practice runs and the quality of care you provide.
Common EHR Challenges Impacting Providers and Staff
One review study reveals that the current state of the EHR is frequently identified by providers as the single biggest stressor in patient care, and nearly 75% with burnout symptoms identify the EHR as a source.
Many of the frustrations with EHR systems stem from fundamental design and usability flaws. These issues directly impact daily operations, leading to provider burnout and decreased efficiency. Below, we take a deeper look at the EHR challenges facing healthcare practices today.
Poor EHR Interface Design and Usability Issues
A common complaint among practitioners is poor EHR interface design. The review study cited above lists the most common usability issues, including:
- Inefficiency in navigation, due to a complex web of windows, icons, menus, and pointers.
- Workflows are hindered by long pull-down lists that are unfiltered or unorganized by context and by deeply nested menus.
- A large number of clicks to complete simple tasks leads to mouse-click fatigue.
These hurdles lead to significant EHR user experience problems, turning a tool meant to save time into one that causes frustration. When providers have to hunt for information or follow a complex process, patient care can be delayed.
Navigating Complex EHR Systems and Lack of Customization
Your practice is not a one-size-fits-all organization, yet many EHR systems are rigid and inflexible. The difficulty in navigating these complex systems is a major issue.
Also, a lack of EHR customization means that workflows that are unique to a specialty or practice cannot be easily accommodated. Providers are forced to adapt their processes to the software’s limitations, rather than the other way around.
Time-consuming Data Entry and Inefficient Documentation Processes
One study reveals that for every eight hours office-based physicians schedule with patients, they spend more than five hours working in the EHR. A Harris Poll reveals 70% of physicians feel they are dealing with more data than they can manage—also known as data fatigue.
This form of time-consuming data entry, coupled with ineffective workflow processes, is one of the most significant EHR challenges. Manual data input, redundant fields, and inefficient documentation processes steal valuable time that could be spent on direct patient care. This administrative burden is a leading contributor to provider dissatisfaction and burnout.
Workflow Disruptions and Integration Limitations
An EHR system should fit smoothly into your practice’s existing operations. Unfortunately, many systems cause EHR workflow disruptions. When the software doesn’t align with how a clinic naturally functions, it creates friction, slows down processes, and can even lead to errors.
These disruptions are often made worse by the system’s inability to integrate with other essential tools used in the practice.
Data and Interoperability Challenges in EHR Systems
Beyond daily usability issues, significant challenges exist in how EHR systems manage and share data. These problems can create information silos that compromise care coordination and operational efficiency.
Lack of EHR Interoperability and Data Sharing Issues
The lack of EHR interoperability is often cited as one of the many significant shortcomings of EHRs currently in use today. When a patient’s data cannot be easily shared between different hospitals, specialists, and labs, it creates a fragmented view of their health journey.
These EHR data sharing challenges can lead to redundant tests, delayed diagnoses, and incomplete medical histories. True communication between EHR platforms is essential for coordinated, high-quality care.
Integrating EHR with Billing and Practice Management Systems
A practice relies on multiple software solutions to run smoothly. Integrating your EHR with billing systems and other administrative tools is vital for efficiency.
When these systems don’t communicate, staff are forced to enter the same data multiple times, increasing the risk of errors and wasting valuable time. Seamless EHR and practice management integration is key to a streamlined revenue cycle and a well-run office.
RELATED CONTENT: Customizable EHR - Tailoring Your EHR System to Meet Your Practice’s Unique Needs
Overcoming Adoption and Training Barriers
Even the best EHR system is ineffective if your team can’t or won’t use it properly. Adoption and training can be big hurdles that every practice must clear.
EHR Training Challenges and Provider Resistance
Change is often hard, and provider resistance is a common reaction to a new or updated EHR. This resistance is often rooted in previous negative experiences or inadequate training that leaves users feeling overwhelmed and unsupported.
Effective EHR implementation best practices must include comprehensive, role-specific training that addresses the staff’s specific concerns and workflows.
Onboarding New EHR Users and System Transitions
The challenges don’t end after the initial rollout. Onboarding new staff members onto a complex system can be time-consuming. Moreover, EHR system transition challenges are significant if your practice decides to switch vendors.
Migrating data, retraining the entire team, and managing the change process require careful planning and support to minimize disruption to workflows and—most importantly— to patient care. For example, one of the first tasks should be to set the “go-live” date. Once set, establish plans that stick to the agreed-upon date.
Strategies to Improve EHR Efficiency and Care Quality
Overcoming these challenges is possible with the right strategies and a focus on user-centric solutions. By optimizing workflows and leveraging smart technology, you can make your EHR a powerful asset in your practice.
Streamlining EHR Workflows through Automation and Design
One study found that having good or excellent usability for entering data was associated with reduced burnout and an increase in a physician being very satisfied with their EHR. That’s why it’s important to look for an EHR that prioritizes clean design and intuitive navigation.
The ability to create templates, automate routine tasks, and customize workflows for your specialty can dramatically reduce clicks and save time. A system designed with the user in mind minimizes the cognitive load on providers, allowing them to focus on their patients, not the software.
For example, the DrChrono cloud-based EHR offers several automated scheduling and patient intake tools, including:
- Automated reminders: The feature automatically sends appointment reminders to patients via email, text, or phone, which helps reduce no-show rates.
- Digital check-in kiosk: Patients can use an iPad or kiosk upon arrival to fill out forms and confirm information. This automates the intake process, reduces paperwork, and ensures digital records are up to date.
- Customizable templates: DrChrono offers an extensive library of specialty-specific templates that can be customized to match a practice’s unique workflow, reducing charting time and improving accuracy.
- Medical speech-to-text: Providers can use AI-powered dictation to transcribe notes in real time, automatically populating clinical documentation and saving time on manual notetaking.
RELATED CONTENT: Benefits of Switching to DrChrono EHR
Leveraging Integration to Reduce Administrative Burden
A truly integrated EHR system is a game-changer for your practice. When your EHR communicates seamlessly with your billing software, patient portal, and practice management tools, you eliminate redundant data entry and reduce administrative overhead.
For example, DrChrono is a fully integrated EMR, patient engagement, and billing in one cloud-based EHR platform, offering a user-friendly experience with customizable workflows to maximize your staff’s efficiency and time. Here’s how:
- Mobile EHR: This HIPAA-compliant feature allows providers to access patient information, billing dashboards, and other practice management tools from anywhere on an iPad, iPhone, or web, saving valuable time and keeping workflows on track.
- Streamlined workflows: Information entered once is automatically populated across the EHR, scheduling, and billing, eliminating the need for manual data entry and reducing errors.
- Appointment profiles: This tool allows your schedule to be optimized with realistic time blocks set by your appointment type. Billing codes and any necessary forms can also be pre-set by appointment profiles, adding duration, reason for visit, consent forms, color-coding the appointment on your calendar, and even attaching a billing profile.
- Medical billing: The fully integrated EHR and medical billing software saves time and helps improve clean claim rates by eliminating multiple data entries and human errors. Features like automated eligibility checks and the ability to request and collect payments online through the patient portal reduce manual administrative work associated with billing and collections.
Best Practices for Future Proofing Your EHR System
Choosing an EHR is a long-term investment. To ensure it continues to serve your practice well into the future, consider these five best practices:
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Prioritize secure, cloud-based solutions: Cloud-based EHRs offer greater flexibility, scalability, and accessibility. They also handle updates and security automatically, reducing the burden on your practice. Make sure your vendor also ensures robust security features and stays current with regulations like HIPAA to ensure your system and practices are compliant.
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Demand true interoperability: Choose a vendor committed to open data standards like FHIR (Fast Healthcare Interoperability Resources) APIs. These are modern, web-based APIs that use principles to allow different healthcare systems and applications to securely exchange and integrate health data. This ensures your system can communicate with other platforms, labs, and health information exchanges.
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Focus on the User Experience (UX): Before you make a final decision, get your providers and staff to try out the system. Having an easy-to-use, intuitive interface is key to long-term adoption and user satisfaction.
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Seek customization and flexibility: Select an EHR that can be customized to your specialty and adapt to changing workflows and future needs. The American Medical Association (AMA) recommends discussing things like:
- The costs of system maintenance
- Future upgrades and practice growth
- Integrating new technologies and interfaces
- Partner with a forward-thinking vendor: The AMA also suggests understanding how the vendor will respond to the constantly evolving health policy landscape. This includes areas such as how the vendor approaches system/regulatory changes, cost transparency, and customer input on new configurations.
The Path Forward—Making EHRs Work for Providers, Not Against Them
EHR systems hold so much promise to transform today’s practices. Yet, challenges with poor usability, workflow disruptions, and a lack of interoperability often prevent practices from realizing these benefits. The key is to shift the focus back to the user.
By prioritizing intuitive design, seamless integration, and comprehensive training, you can overcome these obstacles. An EHR should be a supportive partner in care delivery, not make your job harder.
Is your current EHR creating more problems than it solves? When you’re ready to make your technology work for you, contact DrChrono to learn how our user-centric EHR improves efficiency, usability, and care quality for your practice.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) about EHR Challenges and Solutions
What are some common issues with EHR systems that healthcare providers face?
Providers experience difficulties with EHRs such as poor interface design, complex navigation, limited customization, time-consuming data entry, workflow disruptions, and interoperability problems that hinder efficient patient care.
What are some strategies to improve EHR efficiency?
Implementing automation, choosing systems with intuitive design, creating templates, and integrating your EHR with billing and practice management tools can significantly streamline workflows and reduce administrative tasks.
How can integration improve operational efficiency?
Seamless communication between EHR, billing, labs, and other systems reduces redundant data entry, saves time, and helps maintain accurate, accessible patient information.
How can I determine if my current EHR system is meeting my practice’s needs?
If your EHR causes frequent workflow disruptions, data sharing issues, or high administrative burden, it may be time to explore alternative systems built with usability and integration in mind.