How to Stay Efficient With a New EHR—Without Sacrificing Your Life Outside Medicine

Our hospital implemented a new electronic health record system (EHR) three months ago. It has been a big learning curve. Having to use something new may be challenging, sometimes even frustrating; here, I am sharing some practical strategies to stay efficient despite using something unfamiliar.

EHR is meant to help clinicians with better workflow and better documentation. Somehow, it has also become a burden for many physicians. The immense feeling of obligation to document as much as possible adds to the charting time. Multiply by twenty patients. There goes hours of your day.

Get to know the new EHR well. The mandatory training modules may be somewhat helpful in familiarizing you with where certain buttons are, but the real-life learning curve starts when you start using the program with patients. You do not know what you do not know until you have to do something in the program. The more you practice, the quicker you master the EHR. Connect and ask superusers, preferably physicians in your own specialty who have been using the program for a while. You are likely ordering the same tests and similar treatment plans. Asking saves you time from exploring on your own. Calling the Help Desk is helpful sometimes, but not so much when it comes to tasks which are specific to your specialty.

Create smart phrases and templates. No matter what EHR program you use, it is time-saving to have these tools. If you always write your notes in a certain format, make a template. Make several templates if you have different formats you use frequently. For example, I have a template for outpatient visit, one for inpatient consult and one for inpatient follow-up. As for smart phrases, review and explore what you manage most, or what procedures you do. For me, I have a smart phrase for the bone marrow biopsy procedure note. For diagnoses you frequently encounter, it is more efficient if you already have saved smart phrases. For example, the differential diagnosis of anemia, potential adverse effects of chemotherapy, or the management of early stage breast cancer.

Delegate. Whatever you do not have to do yourself, delegate. Lately I have heard about practices which are short-staffed – including my practice. Given the resources available, delegate and utilize teamwork as much as possible. Whatever you do not have to do, you are saving time to do something else. For example, initial patient intake – ask your staff to do the vitals and verify the medication list. By the time you are ready to see the patient, you will have the basic information available. Returning patients’ calls or informing patients about their test results are tasks you can delegate. Can you think of other ways to delegate more in your practice?

Teamwork is a big factor in efficiency. Communication is key. Make sure each member of the team knows what the others are doing. Be on time, be kind. Let your team know what they are doing well. Let your team know what can be improved.

Get help with AI. AI with voice recognition can transcribe the entire patient encounter in real time. You can refine or “train” most AI programs to be formatted to your needs. If AI is not available in your institution, there are other ways to enhance your efficiency.

Preparation is key. I cannot emphasize enough how important it is to prepare in advance. Prepare your mind, so that you are ready for an unpredictable and busy day. Prepare the material – for outpatients especially, you get to review your schedule in advance and see if there are patients who need extra care.

There are countless challenges in medicine. As physicians, you are more than equipped to face the unknown. Familiarize yourself with the new program. Ask for help. Create shortcuts to enhance better workflow. Delegation and teamwork are essential parts of efficiency of and good patient care. Use AI if it is available to you. Be kind, be patient, and you will get there.