Interventions to Reduce Electronic Health Record-Related Burnout: A Systematic Review

Abstract

Background: Electronic health records are a significant contributing factor in clinician burnout, which negatively impacts patient care. Objectives: To identify and appraise published solutions that aim to reduce EHR-related burnout in clinicians. Methods: A literature search strategy was developed following the guidelines of the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA). Six databases were searched for articles published between January 1950 and March 2023. The inclusion criteria were peer-reviewed, full-text, English-language articles that described interventions targeting EHR-related burnout in any type of clinician, with reported outcomes related to burnout, wellness, EHR satisfaction, or documentation workload. Studies describing interventions without an explicit focus on reducing burnout or enhancing EHR-related satisfaction were excluded. Results: We identified 44 articles describing interventions to reduce EHR-related burnout. These interventions included the use of scribes, EHR training, and EHR modifications. These interventions were generally well received by the clinicians and patients, with subjective improvements in documentation time and EHR satisfaction, although objective data was limited. Conclusions: The findings of this review underscore the potential benefits of interventions to reduce EHR-related burnout, as well as the need for further research with more robust study designs involving randomized trials, control groups, longer study durations, and validated, objective outcome measurements.