JAMA Netw Open

Reducing physician burnout through better team structures and EHR use

November 14, 2024

Efficient team structures and appropriate use of electronic health records (EHRs) at home are linked to lower burnout rates among family physicians. This study highlights the importance of optimizing team support and EHR experiences to sustain primary care practice.

Conducted from 2016 to 2023, this survey included 10,315 family physicians (median age, 50 years; 54.1% male) who were asked about their yearly prevalence of burnout, perceived team efficiency, perceived EHR proficiency, and perceived EHR time.

Key findings:

• Burnout rates ranged from 37.9% in 2017 to 42.8% in 2022.
• Appropriate home EHR use reduced burnout odds by 42%, while high team efficiency reduced burnout odds by 39%.
• Collaboration with registered nurses was associated with greater odds of high team efficiency (odds ratio [OR], 1.35), while working with physician assistants was associated with greater odds of appropriate home EHR time (OR, 1.13).

Source:

Rotenstein LS, et al. (2024, November 4). JAMA Netw Open. Team and Electronic Health Record Features and Burnout Among Family Physicians. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39499518/