This week, Athenahealth introduced new electronic patient record products aimed at specialists. By combining critical electronic health records and practice management capabilities with customized workflows, the cloud-based company says it aims to reduce burnout and improve the EHR experience in specialty care.
WHY IT MATTERS
Because healthcare is complex and patients continue to express their desire for greater involvement in their care and their expectations for a consumer experience.
“Healthcare technology, including EHRs or practice management software, has not always delivered the efficiency, user experience, or many of the benefits once promised to physicians,” wrote Dr. Nele Jessel, Chief Medical Officer of Athenahealth, in a blog post on Thursday.
She said burnout rains will remain significant even after the pandemic era, based on the company’s physician sentiment survey, and that the need to “take away the noise for physicians and allow them to focus on the care of their patients” was clear.
The online survey, conducted by the Harris Poll from October 23 through November 8, 2023, and sponsored anonymously by athena, gauged the feelings of 750 primary care physicians and 253 specialists, 95% of whom do not use the company’s EHR.
Most doctors surveyed – 93% – said they regularly feel burned out, reporting 15 hours of “pajama time” each week.
“These physicians often feel that EHRs are not tailored to their specific needs, and that they must search for relevant information within the patient’s record,” she explained.
“What specialty practices need is something that’s built with the flexibility for their nuances: their workflows, the way they run their practice and the clinical complexities they deal with every day.”
For example, while urgent care providers need flexibility and scalability, “they need specific capabilities that help them meet patients where they are to deliver a convenient, consumer experience – from scheduling through to post-visit summary and access.” to test the results.”
Added to athenaOne:
- Specialty-specific enhancements, including preconfigured workflows and customized clinical content, based on insights from across the EHR network.
- Dedicated, specialist onboarding and customer success managers.
- Curated partnerships that meet the nuanced needs of specialty practices.
Built specifically for women’s healthcare practices, Athenahealth combines a 360-degree view of patient health with gynecology, obstetrics, menopause and other workflows for their specialties.
Dr. Katherine Gregory, a gynecologist at San Francisco Gynecology, said in a statement that automating key administrative tasks has allowed physicians and staff to maximize their time with patients.
“As a women’s health practice, we care for our patients through many stages of their health care journey, guiding them through important health moments at every stage of their lives,” she said.
“It is important that physicians and staff have solutions that provide a comprehensive patient view so we can provide consistent, coordinated care.”
Further on the specialty roadmap, according to Athenas, are the rollout of behavioral health and specialty care sites announcement.
THE BIG TREND
There is a shortage of physician specialists in the United States, with demand far exceeding supply in some specialties, such as cardiology.
Technology, including virtual care and remote patient monitoring, is helping specialty healthcare practices and providers reach more patients. Specialized telemedicine has contributed to hospitals’ immediate challenges.
Finding the source of tension in EHRs has long been a driving force in the fight against physician burnout.
“The right technology can help reduce physician burnout to a surprising degree by simplifying processes and removing hassles,” said Bridget Duffy, co-founder of the CEO Coalition, a healthcare worker protection organization formed by ten healthcare system CEOs, and former chief medical officer. experience officer at Cleveland Clinic, said Healthcare IT news years before the pandemic.
ON THE RECORD
“Expectations have put additional pressure on physicians and practices in an already competitive landscape,” Jessel said in her blog post.
“It’s an opportunity to use our learnings and expertise to transform healthcare, strengthen specialty practices and give physicians what they need to succeed and practices to thrive.”
Andrea Fox is editor-in-chief of Healthcare IT News.
Email: afox@himss.org
Healthcare IT News is a HIMSS Media publication.