EHR satisfaction higher at hospitals with top adoption model, analysis finds

Dive Brief:

• Hospitals that achieve Stage 7 of the HIMSS Analytics EMR Adoption Model (EMRAM) have happier physicians, greater personalization of EHRs and better teamwork among clinicians and IT personnel, according to a new report by HIMSS Analytics and KLAS’ Arch Collaborative.
• Among Stage 7 hospitals, 41% of physicians report above average satisfaction with EHRs, 14% are highly satisfied and 3% attest to extremely high satisfaction. Just 2% cited low satisfaction and none had very low satisfaction.
• At Stage 7 EHR adoption, organizations no longer use paper charts, use data analytics, exchange clinical information with external sources and have rigorous processes for data recovery and HIPAA compliance.

Dive Insight:

The report comes as physicians grapple with burnout and stress from burdensome administrative tasks. In a recent Medscape survey, nearly 44% of U.S. physicians said they felt burned out. Of those, nearly 60% complained of too many bureaucratic tasks, 34% cited spending long hours at work and 32% pointed to EHRs.

But the KLAS report suggests pushing ahead to reach technological maturity can pay off with greater physician satisfaction and use. Overall, physicians at Stage 7 organizations report better functionality and integration of EHRs, as well as tools to improve quality of care. 

But on several other issues — EHR efficiency, usability and analytics — their satisfaction mirrors those in pre-Stage 7 organizations. Physicians at Stage 7 organizations were just slightly more satisfied about initial and ongoing EHR training as well, suggesting an opportunity for improvement at those organizations.

While technology matters, evidence shows EHR success hinges strongly on change management, according to the report.

“This means that in addition to having a good system in place, organizations that are successful with their EHR nearly always provide strong training, ensure the EHR meets users’ specific needs (i.e., they encourage personalization), and develop shared ownership,” the KLAS analysts write.

The report continues: “Everyone in this field shares a common hope that the EHR and other information technology, combined with excellent people and new processes, can revolutionize healthcare. The good news is that industry pioneers are leading the revolution by achieving high levels of technology adoption and also ensuring that their users have the help they need to maximize the technology’s value.”