Understanding Effect of EHR Usability on Clinical Workflows

As EHR use becomes ubiquitous in the healthcare industry, questions about EHR usability come into play.

Providers use EHRs to perform everyday clinical tasks, manage their workflows, and participate in federal incentive programs such as meaningful use. Because these tools have so many purposes, it is vital that they are navigable and easy-to-use.
EHR usability among providers

But what is EHR usability, and how is it measured? How does EHR usability affect different parts of the healthcare industry? The Healthcare Information Management Systems Society (HIMSS) defines EHR usability as follows.

"Usability is the effectiveness, efficiency and satisfaction with which specific users can achieve a specific set of tasks in a particular environment. In essence, a system with good usability is easy to use and effective. It is intuitive, forgiving of mistakes and allows one to perform necessary tasks quickly, efficiently and with a minimum of mental effort"...