Full Circle Healthcare: The Cognitive Burden of EHRs on Physicians and Staff 

EHRs are the backbone of healthcare digitization. However, they bring with them a cognitive burden for users. So, how can tech better align with its healthcare user? To discuss the challenges and opportunities, Full Circle Healthcare host Shelby Skrhak spoke with David Macfarlane, Marketing Communications Manager at Medsphere.

“The financial costs of introducing technology are one burden. What it’s asking of clinicians is another. We can all relate to this in some ways, as we all use computers,” Macfarlane said.

The belief that technology enables multi-tasking is, after all, a myth. Trying to do too many things at once usually means a person does none of them well. That’s the situation for most clinicians. Skrhak referenced a study that said 77% of clinicians identify documenting and charting in an EHR to be a source of cognitive overload. Distractions aren’t helpful to any situation, especially not in healthcare.

“Clinicians can be just as distracted by alerts and other things like anyone else, which can increase the likelihood of errors,” Macfarlane added.

While EHRs were supposed to deliver streamlined processes that boost efficiency and visibility, there’s still work to do. “In the last few years, the industry has acknowledged the process isn’t satisfactory for clinicians,” Macfarlane said.

Macfarlane noted the onus to fix this disconnect is on the technology companies. “Tech providers need to understand clinician workflows and environments to adapt the platforms to this. With small tweaks that reduce things like alert fatigue, we can meet users where they are.”

Follow us on social media for the latest updates in B2B!

Twitter – @MarketScale
Facebook – facebook.com/marketscale
LinkedIn – linkedin.com/company/marketscale

Recent Episodes

Cardiovascular care is entering one of its most transformative periods in decades. Advances in AI imaging and minimally invasive procedures are transforming the diagnosis and treatment of heart disease. According to the World Health Organization, an estimated 19.8 million people died from cardiovascular diseases in 2022, representing approximately 32% of all global deaths. This…

Across America, rural hospitals are facing an existential crisis. From physician burnout and recruitment struggles to malpractice insurance woes and shrinking OB units, the challenges facing small health systems are multiplying. According to the National Rural Health Association, roughly 190 rural hospitals have closed down or discontinued inpatient care since 2010 — and many more…

In this episode of Care Anywhere: The Global Health Workforce Podcast, host Lea Sims, Chief Marketing Officer of TruMerit, welcomes Laura Messineo, Chief Nursing Officer at WorldWide HealthStaff Solutions. With more than 35 years of nursing experience and two decades pioneering virtual health, Laura shares her expertise in using telehealth to expand access, empower clinicians,…