Abstract: Physician burnout and distress is a growing problem due to complex combination of loss of autonomy, increased administrative tasks, and inefficient work environments. The EHR Inbasket is being recognized as a major contributor to increased administrative tasks and inefficient work environments – or ‘busy work’ as described in one study. Similar to email, the inbasket has become a 24/7 conduit for delivering all types of notifications to physicians and providers, but without controls and filters to what can be received. Some of these messages are clinical communications, result notifications, and others are computer-generated automated messages. Identifying and managing messages that are difficult to prioritize increases cognitive load. Careful dissection of these messages and solving up-stream workflows can have a significant positive impact on message volume, decrease cognitive load and administrative tasks leading to increased efficiency. A diet plan for the EHR inbasket, aimed at reducing the weight it puts on a busy clinician.

Describe the new knowledge and additional skills the participant will gain after attending your presentation.: During this session attendees will learn about a methodic approach to decreasing inbasket volume as a strategy to decreasing physician burnout. Attendees will be able to take home several tactics with immediate applicability in their own organizations.

Authors:

Nitu Kashyap (Presenter)
Yale New Haven Health

Allen Hsiao, Yale New Haven Health