Physicians often use "workarounds," such as paper reminders and overriding alerts, in response to weaknesses in the design of electronic health records, according to a study published in the Journal of the American Medical Informatics Association.
Researchers gathered qualitative data from 11 primary care outpatient clinics across three healthcare institutions. They observed how EHRs were used in these clinics. In total, 120 clinic staff and 118 patients were observed.
According to the study, providers are adapting to limited EHR systems. In all three institutions consistent "workarounds" were used, which suggests common challenges in the outpatient setting that current EHR designs do not accommodate.
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Researchers gathered qualitative data from 11 primary care outpatient clinics across three healthcare institutions. They observed how EHRs were used in these clinics. In total, 120 clinic staff and 118 patients were observed.
According to the study, providers are adapting to limited EHR systems. In all three institutions consistent "workarounds" were used, which suggests common challenges in the outpatient setting that current EHR designs do not accommodate.
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AMIA's 14 Usability Principles for EMR Design