Only 27.2% of family physicians are very satisfied with their electronic health records, with poor usability—especially in alerts—strongly linked to increased burnout, according to a recent national study with a 100% response rate.

A cross-sectional survey explored the association between electronic health record (EHR) usability, physician satisfaction, and burnout among family physicians. The study surveyed 2,067 family physicians seeking recertification through the American Board of Family Medicine in 2022. Researchers aimed to assess EHR usability across six domains, evaluate overall physician satisfaction, and investigate the role of four EHR efficiency strategies.

The study found significant variability in usability across EHR functions, with system alerts receiving the lowest usability scores. Of the respondents, 27.2% reported being very satisfied with their EHR, 37.5% were somewhat satisfied, 16.7% were somewhat dissatisfied, and 9.6% were very dissatisfied. Usability ratings varied, with 26.3% of physicians rating the readability of information as excellent, but only 12.7% rated the usefulness of alerts as excellent. Additionally, 20.8% of physicians rated the ease of entering data as excellent. Good or excellent usability in aligning with workflow was associated with an 11% higher likelihood of physician satisfaction.

Using a standardized usability index, the study conducted moderation analysis to examine the relationship between usability, efficiency strategies, and satisfaction. Physicians with highly usable EHRs were more likely to benefit from efficiency strategies, such as scribes, templated text, and voice recognition. For instance, 81.5% of physicians using scribes reported a reduction in EHR time, along with 76.6% of those using voice recognition and 70.4% of those using templated text. However, only 54.9% of those relying on other staff for documentation experienced a similar reduction in workload. Notably, these strategies did not significantly improve satisfaction for physicians using less usable EHRs.

The study, published in JAMA Network Open, also found a significant inverse association between EHR satisfaction and burnout. Physicians who were very satisfied with their EHR were less likely to experience frequent burnout, with a notable reduction in burnout scores (β = −0.64 [95% confidence interval, −1.06 to −0.22]; P < .001), equating to an approximate 18.8% decrease in burnout.

The researchers noted that these findings have implications for policymakers, vendors, and health system leaders in addressing EHR burden and physician well-being. However, they also acknowledged limitations, including the cross-sectional nature of the study, which precludes causal inference.

Full disclosures can be found in the published study.