15 Feb Using electronic health records to predict physician departure

Source: YaleNews.com

Physician turnover is disruptive and costly. It affects patients’ continuity of care, strains healthcare organizations, and can take a toll on physicians and their families. By some estimates, each departure can also cost a healthcare facility up to $1 million.

A new Yale study published Oct. 12 in JAMA Network Open examined whether electronic health records (EHRs), which aim to improve efficiency in healthcare but also have been associated with physician burnout, can be used to identify physicians at risk of leaving.

For the study, the research team analyzed two years of EHR use data from a large outpatient practice network in New England, looking for any measures associated with physician turnover. They found two: the amount of time spent managing the EHR inbox and the portion of a physician’s orders that were placed by other team members, a measure of teamwork.

On the second measure, the researchers found that evidence of fewer contributions from team members was associated with higher rates of physician turnover. “There was a higher likelihood of physicians staying if other members of the care team were contributing to their EHR work,” said Ted Melnick, associate professor of emergency medicine at Yale and lead author of the study.

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