Burnout Related to Electronic Health Record Use in Primary Care

Physician burnout has been increasing in the United States, especially in primary care, and the use of Electronic Health Records (EHRs) is a prominent contributor. This review article summarizes findings from a PubMed literature search that shows the significant contributors to EHR-related burnout may be documentation and clerical burdens, complex usability, electronic messaging and inbox, cognitive load, and time demands. Documentation requirements have escalated and have inherently changed from paper-based records. Many clerical tasks have also shifted to become additional physician responsibilities. When considering factors of efficiency, effectiveness, and user satisfaction, EHRs overall have an inferior…