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- Researchers from two medical centers – New York Methodist Hospital and Weill Cornell Medical College – measured Cerner EHR use in first-year internal medicine residents.
- The usage was measured over four months and was defined as a minimum of 15 key strokes and three mouse clicks, or 1700 “mouse miles,” per minute, which is how far a cursor travels across a monitor. The results show that the residents spent 18,322 hours to enter data during 33,733 EHR encounters.
- Residents’ average time per EHR encounter dropped from 40 minutes to 30 minutes after several months due to familiarity with the system.
Dive Insight:
The authors of the study wrote that a “significant portion of an intern’s day is still consumed by clinical computer work.” Other studies have shown EHRs can detract from job satisfaction.
“Furthermore, a nationwide survey revealed that residents felt that clinical documentation took time away from education, patient care, and more importantly, motivation to provide high-quality care,” the authors wrote.
A 2014 study showed that EHR use reduced direct patient care time, and disrupted clinician workflow among medical residents. “Efforts should be made to optimize the implementation process of an EHR in an academic setting, particularly with regard to its potential impact on resident education and training,” the researchers concluded.
