The Edge - Thought Leadership on the Epic (EHR)

This article focuses on the gender differences among physicians in terms of work hours, compensation, and electronic health record (EHR) documentation. In fact, multiple studies conducted indicate that women physicians tend to spend more time on patient care and EHR documentation, both during and after regular work hours. This additional time on EHR tasks may contribute to better patient outcomes.
 

One of the studies cited focuses on EHR data for 318 physicians in a New England ambulatory practice network and reveals that women physicians spend an average of 41 more minutes on overall EHR tasks per day compared to their male counterparts. This includes 10 extra minutes during non-scheduled hours and 31 extra minutes on writing notes specifically.

These findings align with previous studies conducted at academic medical centers, which also showed that women physicians invest more time in EHR activities, even when accounting for factors like clinical workload and team contributions.

These gender differences may be influenced by inherent and socially ingrained traits among physicians, as well as differing expectations from patients and staff regarding physician accessibility. For instance, women primary care physicians tend to receive more patient and staff messages, regardless of the gender of their patients, indicating that patients may have a lower threshold to reach out to female physicians and feel more comfortable divulging personal information.

The implications of these gender differences in EHR work time are significant. Firstly, the extra hours represent uncompensated labor and contribute to the gender wage gap among physicians. Secondly, the added workload may lead to higher rates of burnout among women physicians, potentially causing them to leave the workforce. This issue has become more pressing during the COVID-19 pandemic.

There are several potential solutions that can address these challenges. For instance, clinical practice leaders could incorporate EHR work into clinician workflows, allocate specific time slots for responding to patient messages, and guide patients on using messaging systems more efficiently. Additionally, compensation models should adapt to account for the increasing importance of asynchronous care, potentially moving away from fee-for-service payments and considering lump-sum payments per patient.

Recognizing and addressing gender differences in EHR work time is crucial not only for achieving fairness and inclusion within the medical field but also for retaining women physicians and providing fair compensation for their valuable contributions to patient-centered care and improved clinical outcomes.