How to Reduce Burnout with Innovative Training Techniques

“Preventable medical errors tied to EHRs have led to serious mistakes and even death,” according to a 2019 study published in the Journal of Health Affairs (Raj Ratwani, MedStar Health). Ratwani blames the “EHR cognitive burden” for wearing down today’s physicians, driving more and more into early retirement.

His findings are supported by a recent study, published in Mayo Clinic Proceedings, reporting that physicians now spend 1 to 2 hours on EHRs and deskwork for every hour spent in direct face-to-face contact with patients. In addition, the Mayo Clinic suggests a direct correlation between EHR usability and physician engagement, exacerbating the clerical burden that ultimately leads to burnout.

This article further explores the root causes of inadequate EHR usability, referenced in many popular medical publications. When providers are not confident or supported by user-friendly and relevant technology, training must always be considered as a factor. Inadequate training can create dissatisfaction and errors that overflow into the patient experience.  Let’s face it, it will take a long time before we see a dramatic improvement in EHR usability or new regulations that reduce the burden on physicians. However, we can and should act now to improve HIS training – increasing engagement and upskilling providers, so they become more efficient, proficient, and ultimately more satisfied with their EHRs and the other frequently used systems.

Modern training approaches extend beyond the classroom, manuals, and even simulation.

With provider burnout reaching epidemic proportions, provider engagement must become the top priority in every training strategy.

• Microlearning techniques leverage video content that is brief, relevant, and easy to apply within a clinical environment. 

• Use of incentives, rewards and gamification are proven effective in enhancing the engagement and performance of healthcare workers.

• Mobile access to self-paced coursework enables providers to complete training on their own schedules, when they have time to focus.

Targeted and provider-centric training can positively influence user satisfaction for up to five years post go-live. According to KLAS Research, long-term benefits like this are possible when initial training is done properly, even with today’s imperfect systems. And, while getting off to a good start with your EHR is critical, training can no longer be viewed as a go-live feature. “Just as continuing medical education is necessary to keep abreast of advances in (medical) care, ongoing training and education are necessary to effectively and efficiently use the EHR,” said Emily C. Webber, M.D., FAMIA, FAAP, chair of the AAP Council on Clinical Information Technology (COCIT) Executive Committee. 

MedPower takes meaningful steps to eliminate provider burnout.

Considering the complexities of today’s EHR systems and the constant stream of upgrades and updates providers must learn, MedPower sees the value in developing ACCME-compliant microlearning training programs that reward physicians who complete training with CME credits.

MedPower breaks EHR training into microlearning video segments, serving providers bite-sized chunks of video content that make it much easier to consume and far easier to retain. When paired with a mobile LMS, short microlearning videos also act as a just-in-time training resource that providers can tap into whenever and wherever they need help with an EHR feature or workflow (think YouTube for EHRs). 

In a recent expert roundtable hosted by ROI Healthcare Solutions, Dr. John-Paul Jones of Centra Health agreed that proven microlearning techniques used by MedPower get more providers to start and complete EHR coursework correctly. 

MedPower also uses incentives to give providers extra motivation to take EHR training seriously and complete coursework that will ultimately save them time and improve patient care. Incentives like simple points programs can encourage users to not only complete training, but to demonstrate proficiency through assessments and measurements linked to those rewards.

New training tools and techniques can most certainly boost a provider’s capacity and capabilities, but they must be part of a broader learning strategy that clearly communicates the value of the training to end users.  According to Lore Mandozzi, Director of HIS at ROI Healthcare Solutions, “hospitals need to start at the beginning and take an honest assessment to understand the status and perception of technology implementations among providers,” asking questions such as:

• Are your key influencers on board with your vision?  

• Do you know what success looks like and how it will be measured? 

• Do you have feedback channels in place?  

By empowering end users and involving them in the process, you will grow adoption rates and engagement that will ultimately improve performance and reduce the HIS friction that’s contributing to burnout.

Want to increase physician satisfaction with MedPower’s modern training solutions?

Let us help you uncover the sources of your physician burnout and work with you to create relevant, bite-sized microlearning and analytics solutions that make a real difference. Contact MedPower today at medpower.org/contact. 

Interested in learning more about reducing physician burnout? Check out ROI Healthcare’s Physician Burnout Webinar: Code RED.