Disparities in time on EHRs linked with burnout among women physicians, study suggests
Women physicians spent more time on orders and notes in the electronic health record (EHR) despite reporting greater system proficiency, according to a comparative analysis and survey.
Primary care physicians have gender disparities in electronic health record (EHR) usage and patient communication that are associated with an increased risk of burnout among women physicians, according to a comparative analysis.
To investigate gender differences in EHR basket activity, workload, and burnout, researchers analyzed EHR usage data and survey responses from 406 primary care/general medicine physicians (43.1% men, 56.9% women) at a single academic medical center between May 2023 and April 2024. Findings were published by the Journal of General Internal Medicine on May 29.
Women physicians spent significantly more time in the EHR on orders (34.00 vs. 28.39 min/d; P=0.004) and notes (70.38 vs. 53.17 min/d; P=0.004) compared with their male counterparts. Women physicians were also more likely to say patient portal messages required more clinical assessment (odds ratio [OR], 1.60 [95% CI, 1.05 to 2.45]; P=0.0297) and contributed to burnout (OR, 1.76 [95% CI, 1.12 to 2.79]; P=0.0152) than male physicians.
Women physicians were also more likely to receive negative or demeaning messages from patients (OR, 1.61 [95% CI, 1.08 to 2.42]; P=0.0204). However, compared with men, women found EHR systems easier to learn (OR, 2.03 [95% CI, 1.37 to 3.02]; P<0.0001) and were less likely to feel EHRs inhibited quality care (OR, 0.57 [95% CI, 0.43 to 0.74]; P<0.0001). They were also more likely to identify lack of effective teamwork as a primary contributor to burnout (OR, 1.24 [95% CI, 1.01 to 1.53]; P=0.044). There were no significant differences between men and women physicians in their ranking of factors contributing to burnout from patient portal messages.
The study was conducted at a single center in the Midwest United States, limiting generalizability of the findings, the authors cautioned. Additional limitations include a lack of data on patient types or physicians' years of EHR use.
“Effective leadership engagement is essential for optimizing EHR workflows, promoting equitable work practices, and implementing flexible work provisions that ensure safe and sustainable care delivery,” the researchers concluded.