A cure for physician burnout is better use of patient data

Somewhere in America, a physician struggles to piece together their patient's medical history from previous hospitalizations, rehabilitation stays, specialist appointments, and medication lists that are frequently outdated. During the brief 12-minute office visit, much of the interaction is devoted to piecing together the patient's medical story, leaving the doctor with little time to actually provide care.

Physicians then return to countless administrative tasks, spending more time tracking and documenting information than providing patient care. Patient care systems operate on disconnected information systems, causing inefficiencies and excessive work for primary care physicians, who spend over half of their day on electronic health record (EHR) tasks.

This relentless "type-and-click" work is a significant contributor to physician burnout, which can lead to medical errors, decreased care quality, safety incidents, and reduced patient satisfaction, with burnout rates approaching 50%. Factors such as time pressure, chaotic workplaces, low control of work pace, and organizational culture also exacerbate the situation.

Physicians are leaving the industry at alarming rates, with more than 35% indicating interest in leaving within the next two years. The U.S. faces a potential shortage of up to 86,000 physicians by 2036, a loss they cannot afford. Patient data is generated in abundance by health systems, yet it remains idle and disconnected across various systems.

Primary care physicians are not informed when their patients are hospitalized, and skilled nursing facilities lack updated information on prescription changes, increasing the risk of medication interactions. Interoperability gaps and clunky digital tools leave physicians with less time for patient interaction and more time searching for necessary information to prevent these issues.

The analysis shows that stress from technology, chronic time pressure, and persistent workflow problems significantly contribute to clinician burnout. As multiple EHRs cannot easily share or interpret data, clinicians must sift through information through faxes and phone calls to gather complete health information before making care decisions.

Connected and actionable patient data is crucial in supporting providers' mental health, helping them overcome frequent issue points, and tackling some of the main contributors to physician burnout. Instead of relying on mindfulness apps and wellness stipends, the solution lies in adopting technology that enables seamless sharing of patient data among all providers involved in a patient's care, including public health and community partners.

With patient data following the patient throughout the care journey, physicians receive real-time alerts on what matters most for their patients, transforming a 12-minute visit into meaningful medical care rather than exhausting detective work. Effie Carlson, CEO of Watershed Health, and Monica Rivera, MD, MPH, chief growth officer of Watershed Health, emphasize the importance of leveraging patient data to alleviate physician burnout.