Clinician Wellness Research Roundup: January 26, 2024

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In this Research Roundup, we explore new studies on electronic health record use, performance standards, and the COVID-19 pandemic and their effects on clinician wellness and well-being.

Connections Between EHR Use and Clinician Burnout
This systematic review investigated the relationship between electronic health record (EHR) use and clinician stress and burnout in hospital settings. The analysis of 29 studies revealed that poor usability and extensive time spent on EHRs were key contributors to stress and burnout among clinicians, with the working environment and differences in specialties also influencing these outcomes.

The investigators concluded that, “Addressing these issues requires tailored EHR systems, rigorous usability testing, support for the needs of different specialties, qualitative research on EHR stressors, and expanded research in non-Western contexts.”

Reference

Alobayli F, O'Connor S, Holloway A, Cresswell K. Electronic health record stress and burnout among clinicians in hospital settings: a systematic review. Digit Health. 2023;9:20552076231220241. Published 2023 Dec 19.

Enhancing Patient and Clinician Well-Being Through Narrative Medicine
The COVID-19 pandemic intensified secondary trauma and moral injury among health care workers, highlighting the urgent need for addressing mental health in both clinicians and patients. This study advocates for narrative medicine as an accessible and cost-effective framework with the potential to revolutionize patient care, support underserved populations, mitigate clinician burnout, and improve team dynamics.

The investigators review literature that supports these benefits and provide insights into integrating narrative medicine into clinical care and medical education from the undergraduate to the continuing medical education levels.

Reference

Loy M, Kowalsky R. Narrative medicine: The power of shared stories to enhance inclusive clinical care, clinician well-being, and medical education. Perm J. Published online January 16, 2024.

Exploring the Relationship Between Productivity Standards and Burnout in Psychotherapists
This article discusses the challenges mental health clinicians face in meeting productivity standards, emphasizing the potential negative impact on job satisfaction and burnout. The author suggests that while building rapport and enhancing self-efficacy can address short-term issues, the concept of productivity standards itself may be problematic.

“Through empathy and providing non-judgmental feedback, clinical supervisors and managers can help build a therapist’s self-efficacy, mitigating some of these effects, but this may not be enough,” the author concluded. “If we do not explore and implement alternative performance measures [such as patient satisfaction surveys and patient outcome measures], we may be in danger of losing therapists at a time when we need them the most.”

Reference

Franco G. The impact of productivity standards on psychotherapy. Front Psychol. 2023;14:1229628. Published 2023 Nov 20.

Note: This Research Roundup was prepared with the assistance of ChatGPT.

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