Annals of Family Medicine: New Research Demonstrates That a Highly Successful Electronic Health Record (EHR) Optimization Can Be Conducted at the Departmental Level

PROVIDENCE, R.I., March 26, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- A new study published in the March/April 2024 issue of Annals of Family Medicine shows researchers at the Department of Family and Community Health at Joan C. Edwards School of Medicine, Marshall University, alongside the institution's Information Technology team, have made substantial strides in Electronic Health Record (EHR) optimization. This collaborative effort not only showcases a successful department-level quality improvement process but also sets the stage for health care systems nationwide to reimagine their relationship with technology.

The study, "Optimization of Electronic Health Record Usability Through a Department-Led Quality Improvement Process," details a four-month, department-wide project conducted by members of Marshall University's Department of Family and Community Health with their school's Information Technology (IT) team to improve the usage of EHR software. Through the formation of eight multidisciplinary workgroups focusing on specific workflow problems, the department successfully identified and implemented 124 EHR-related optimizations. Each optimization was tracked under one of four categories: Accommodation, Discovery, Creation, and Modification — with just over 20% being Creation or Modification optimizations under IT's domain. Nearly 80% did not require IT fixes, with 43.5% identified as Discovery optimizations—solutions that were already in the EHR but of which users were unaware.

The widespread adoption of EHRs was expected to improve communication among clinical and administrative staff and ensure the standardization, quality, and safety of care. EHR usage, though, often comes with increased administrative burdens, negative clinician emotions, attenuated workflow communication, clinician burnout, and medical errors. This study addresses some of these challenges, demonstrating that some major usability improvements are attainable with sufficient knowledge of the EHR interface and ongoing collaboration between users and IT professionals.

Complementing this study, an editorial from the Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University, "Friend or Foe? Helping Health Care Leadership Reimagine a Healthy EHR Relationship," underscores the need for a radical shift in health care systems' approach to technology. Highlighting successful technological implementations in other industries and within health care itself, such as the Department of Veterans Affairs' VistA system, the editorial calls for hospital leadership to reflect on their institutions' relationship with EHRs and to view technology as a core competency.

The study by Adam M. Franks, MD, and colleagues, with accompanying editorial insights from Meylakh Barshay, AB, a medical student at Brown University, and Caroline R. Richardson, MD, who serves as the editor for the Annals of Family Medicine, advocates for a holistic and integrated approach to EHR usage.

By prioritizing user training and technological investment, health care systems can transform EHRs from sources of frustration into powerful tools for enhancing care delivery and clinician well-being.

Articles Cited:

Optimization of Electronic Health Record Usability through a Department-Led Quality Improvement Process
Adam M. Franks, MD, Charles Clements, MD, Tammy Bannister, MD Adrienne Mays-Kingston, MD Ashley Beaty, MSN, RN-BC Alperen Korkmaz, Med, John A. Parker Jr, MD Stephen M. Petrany, MD

Friend or Foe? Helping Health Care Leadership Reimagine a Healthy EHR Relationship
Meylakh Barshay, AB, Caroline R. Richardson, MD

Annals of Family Medicine is a peer-reviewed, indexed research journal that provides a cross-disciplinary forum for new, evidence-based information affecting the primary care disciplines. Launched in May 2003, Annals of Family Medicine is sponsored by seven family medical organizations, including the American Academy of Family Physicians, the American Board of Family Medicine, the Society of Teachers of Family Medicine, the Association of Departments of Family Medicine, the Association of Family Medicine Residency Directors, the North American Primary Care Research Group, and the College of Family Physicians of Canada. Annals of Family Medicine is published online six times each year and contains original research from the clinical, biomedical, social, and health services areas, as well as contributions on methodology and theory, selected reviews, essays, and editorials. Complete editorial content and interactive discussion groups for each published article can be accessed for free on the journal's website, www.AnnFamMed.org.

SOURCE Annals of Family Medicine