Clinician burnout is a complex issue – one that was taking a heavy toll on providers even before the COVID-19 pandemic began. Now, with the relentless stress and exhaustion brought on by this unprecedented challenge, the rate of burnout among healthcare workers is on the rise¹.

While it is often perceived of as an individual struggle, burnout is an organizational issue, and responsibility for dealing with it rests with each institution. As a result, employers must understand not only the internal and external stressors contributing to the problem, but also work to minimize them in meaningful ways².

The cost of clinical documentation

A number of factors contribute to burnout – including long hours and demanding workloads³ – but the growing administrative requirements associated with electronic clinical documentation are chief among them. Indeed, with 70% of EHR users reporting health IT-related stress⁴ and burnout costing organizations an average of $7,600 per physician every year due to turnover and reduced clinical hours⁵, technology’s influence on the issue cannot be ignored.

With legislation like the 21st Century Cures Act, the federal government is making strides toward improving interoperability in healthcare, which in turn should help alleviate the HIT burden on providers. However, this type of change is slow-moving – making more immediate solutions essential.

The quick(er) fixes to clinician HIT burnout

While it may seem counterintuitive to combat the clinician HIT burden with more technology, effectively leveraging the right IT solutions is actually an excellent place to start.

Download our eBook where we explore how the use of technology can enhance the EHR so that it works better for clinicians – by alleviating some of the stressors contributing to burnout.