Recognizing the potential benefit of EHRs, the American Medical Association is pushing for overhauling and improving EHRs to be more physician-friendly.
The AMA released a framework outlining eight priorities to be addressed that would enhance usability and better integrate EHRs into the clinical workflow. The priorities are based on a recent study conducted with RAND Corp. that found physicians' dissatisfaction with EHRs is taking a toll on their work.
"Physician experiences documented by the AMA and RAND demonstrate that most EHR systems fail to support efficient and effective clinical work," said AMA president-elect Steven J. Stack, MD. "This has resulted in physicians feeling increasingly demoralized by technology that interferes with their ability to provide first-rate medical care to their patients."
Here are the top eight priorities regarding usability the AMA suggests EHRs should address.
1. Enhance physicians' ability to provide high-quality patient care.
2. Support team-based care.
3. Promote care coordination.
4. Offer product modularity and configurability.
5. Reduce cognitive workload.
6. Promote data liquidity.
7. Facilitate digital and mobile patient engagement.
8. Expedite user input into product design and implementation feedback.
Additionally, the AMA has voiced issues regarding federal EHR incentive programs, saying such incentives have caused usability issues. The AMA suggests the government "abandon the all-or-nothing approach" for achieving meaningful use and consider challenges the physicians deal with when adopting EHRs.
"To advance these goals, the AMA plans to utilize the eight usability priorities to lead EHR improvements for physicians, vendors, federal and state policymakers, institutions and healthcare systems and researchers, which could ultimately lead to greater professional satisfaction for physicians," according to the AMA.
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