What Has Physicians So Dissatisfied With Their EHR Systems?

EHR adoption has grown significantly over the past several years and so too has physician dissatisfaction with this technology, according to a national survey by MPI Group and Medical Economics. In the 2014 EHR survey, nearly three-quarters of 952 respondents (70%) described their EHR investment as not worth the effort, resources, and costs. The subcategory of physicians with the most dissatisfaction comprises specialists, with just 24 percent deeming the experience worthwhile.

Atop of the list of reasons why they dislike their EHR systems, more than two-thirds (67%) of physicians cited system functionality which was followed by cost (48%) and poor customer service (33%). The reputation of EHR vendors, their type of platform, or lack of Stage 2 Meaningful Use certification also figured on this list but at much lower levels — 19 percent, 18 percent, and 16 percent, respectively.

The survey does not delve into what functionalities are lacking, but it does reveal why cost is such a strong factor to physician EHR dissatisfaction. According to the findings, 77 percent of the largest practices have doled out more than $200,000 for EHR implementations. Nearly half of all physicians surveyed (45%) reported having spent more than $100,000 on implementing an EHR system.