• Skip to main content
  • Skip to secondary menu
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to secondary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

  • COVID-19
  • Opinion
  • Health IT
    • Behavioral Health
    • Care Coordination
    • EMR/EHR
    • Interoperability
    • Patient Engagement
    • Population Health Management
    • Revenue Cycle Management
    • Social Determinants of Health
  • Digital Health
    • Artificial Intelligence
    • Blockchain
    • Mobile Health
    • Precision Medicine
    • Telehealth
    • Wearables
  • Startups
  • M&A
  • Value-based Care
    • Accountable Care (ACOs)
    • Medicare Advantage
  • Life Sciences
  • Research

EHR Documentation Named Key Driver of Cognitive Overload for Clinicians

by Jasmine Pennic 07/01/2019 Leave a Comment

Physician Burnout_Cognitive Overload

A recent study finds 77% of clinicians overwhelmingly identified documenting and charting in the EHR as a source of cognitive overload. 

When you were a student cramming for a test, remember that feeling of your brain just being unable to gather more information? You probably didn’t perform at your best. Imagine that stress every day. That’s the life of today’s clinicians, who are tasked with not only caring for multiple patients but also with burdensome clerical work from EHRs and other hospital systems.

Research shows that cognitive overload has significant consequences on clinical quality and errors: A study of emergency room physicians showed that interruptions and multitasking are significantly associated with increased prescription errors. Another study of nurses showed a correlation between cognitive complexity and nursing errors.

The Role of Cognitive Overload in Clinician Burnout

Cognitive overload can contribute to burnout, which, in turn, leads to personal and professional dissatisfaction and increased likelihood of errors and safety events, higher turnover, and diminished health.

A recent study from Vocera and HIMSS Analytics (now part of Definitive Healthcare), sought to better understand the symptoms of cognitive overload, and the complicated role technology plays as both a cause and a cure. A total of 323 clinical and IT leaders were surveyed via HIMSS Analytics Logic online, and onsite at the HIMSS 2019 annual conference. 

Key Technology Drivers of Cognitive Overload

77% of respondents overwhelmingly identified documenting and charting in the EHR as a source of cognitive overload. More than half (58%) of respondents point to alarms, retrieving data from EHRs (55%), and trying to communicate with fellow care team members (52%) via technology as sources of cognitive burden. The likely reason is that many current systems such as pagers and standalone texting platforms are not integrated into a streamlined workflow. And since cognitive overload stems from the cumulative effects of multiple stimuli, each problematic task contributes to the overall burden.

Intelligent Workflows Is The Biggest Potential to Reduce Cognitive Overload

When asked respondents which technology improvements would have the greatest impact on reducing cognitive overload for clinicians, 62% cited intelligent workflows to route alerts and alarms more efficiently as a top solution. Other approaches named include:

71% of respondents said Mobile app that enables care coordination would help reduce cognitive overload in clinicians.

55% of clinical leaders place higher value on interface usability

52% of respondents said enabling communication with the right care team member at the right time.

Integration of communication solutions with the EHR (51%), medical devices with clinical communication platforms (38%), and reduction of overhead paging (6%) was also named by respondents.

Provider Investment in Intelligent Workflows

While almost two-thirds of respondents think intelligent workflows to route alerts, alarms, and data more efficiently would reduce cognitive overload, only 45% have these solutions on their 2019 technology investment roadmaps. Large health systems (those with 501 or more beds) have more investment plans than smaller organizations and priorities are similar regardless of size.

Tagged With: Care Coordination, Clinical Communication, cognitive overload, Definitive Healthcare, Health Systems, himss, HIMSS Analytics, Medical Devices, Pagers, physicians, Vocera

Get in-depth healthcare technology analysis and commentary delivered straight to your email weekly

Reader Interactions

Primary Sidebar

Subscribe to HIT Consultant

Latest insightful articles delivered straight to your inbox weekly.

Submit a Tip or Pitch

Most Popular

Survey: Clinician Burnout Is A Public Health Crisis Demanding Urgent Action

17 Execs Share How Health IT Can Address Clinician Burnout, Staffing, & Capacity

Q/A: Dr. Johnson Talks Racial Disparities in Breast Cancer Care

Q/A: Dr. Johnson Talks Racial Disparities in Breast Cancer Care

Northwell Health Extends Contract with Allscripts Sunrise Platform Through 2027

Northwell to Deploy Epic Enterprise EHR Platform Across System

Sanofi Cuts Price of Lantus Insulin by 78% & Caps Out of Pocket Costs at $35 for All Patients

Sanofi Cuts Price of Lantus Insulin by 78% & Caps Out of Pocket Costs at $35 for All Patients

Pfizer Acquires Seagen for $43B to Tackle Cancer

Pfizer Acquires Seagen for $43B to Tackle Cancer

5 Key Trends Driving Purchasing Decisions in Healthcare IT

5 Key Trends Driving Purchasing Decisions in Healthcare IT

Sanofi to Acquire Diabetes Therapy Maker Provention Bio for $2.9B

Sanofi to Acquire Diabetes Therapy Maker Provention Bio for $2.9B

Dr. Arti Masturzo

Q/A: Dr. Masturzo Talks Addressing Food Insecurity with Patients

Transcarent Acquires 98point6 AI-Powered Virtual Care Platform and Care Business

Transcarent Acquires 98point6 AI-Powered Virtual Care Platform and Care Business

Eli Lilly Cuts Insulin Prices by 70%, Caps Patient Costs at $35 Per Month

Eli Lilly Cuts Insulin Prices by 70%, Caps Patient Costs at $35 Per Month

Secondary Sidebar

Footer

Company

  • About Us
  • Advertise with Us
  • Reprints and Permissions
  • 2023 Editorial Calendar
  • Submit An Op-Ed
  • Contact
  • Subscribe

Editorial Coverage

  • Opinion
  • Health IT
    • Care Coordination
    • EMR/EHR
    • Interoperability
    • Population Health Management
    • Revenue Cycle Management
  • Digital Health
    • Artificial Intelligence
    • Blockchain Tech
    • Precision Medicine
    • Telehealth
    • Wearables
  • Startups
  • Value-Based Care
    • Accountable Care
    • Medicare Advantage

Connect

Subscribe to HIT Consultant Media

Latest insightful articles delivered straight to your inbox weekly

Copyright © 2023. HIT Consultant Media. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy |