The inaugural AMIA 25x5 Task Force TrendBurden survey found that nearly 75% of survey respondents perceive that documentation impedes patient care
Washington, DC – At the AMIA 2024 Clinical Informatics Conference in Minneapolis, the American Medical Informatics Association (AMIA) released the results of the AMIA 25x5 Task Force’s first-ever TrendBurden Pulse Survey. The inaugural TrendBurden results provide a baseline and mark a significant step in addressing the excessive clinical documentation burden faced by healthcare professionals nationwide.
Part of the AMIA 25x5 Initiative, the TrendBurden survey aims to capture perceptions of documentation burden through biannual assessments. The only one of its kind, this national survey gathers crucial data on perceived documentation burden among all healthcare professionals, licensed and non-licensed, who document patient care within electronic health records. “The TrendBurden results illuminate the pervasive challenge of excessive documentation burden faced by healthcare professionals across the nation,” said Sarah Rossetti, RN, PhD, FAAN, FACMI, FAMIA, AMIA 25x5 Task Force Chair. “These results emphasize the urgent need for actionable solutions to alleviate this strain on healthcare professionals prioritizing both high-quality patient care and the well-being of those who provide it.”
The TrendBurden survey ran from April 10-30, 2024, and received 1,253 responses from healthcare professionals across 49 states and the District of Columbia. The respondents included 35.67% physicians/surgeons, 24.72% registered nurses, 13.65% other professionals, 8.38% educators, and 5.83% licensed social workers. These professionals worked in various settings: 31.76% in outpatient clinics, 30.17% in inpatient/hospital settings, 21.47% in academic medical centers, 21.15% in community-based organizations, and 9.58% in telemedicine/telehealth.
Key findings from the survey reveal significant concerns regarding documentation time and effort. Additionally, 77.42% of respondents reported finishing work later than desired or needing to work at home due to excessive documentation tasks. These results highlight the significant negative impact excessive documentation burden has on work-life integration among healthcare professionals. "The time and effort required by healthcare professionals for documentation is severely impacting their work-life integration," said Vicky Tiase, PhD, RN-BC, FAMIA, FAAN, FNAP 25x5 Task Force Policy Workstream Lead. "Addressing this issue is essential to support the well-being of our clinicians and ensure they can continue to provide high-quality patient care."
Other findings focused on recent changes, patient care, and Electronic Health Record (EHR) use. When asked about recent changes in documentation burden, most respondents (66.64%) disagreed that there had been a recent decrease in the time or effort needed to complete documentation tasks, with physicians (74.2%) reporting this more than nurses (60.8%). The perceived impact of documentation on patient care is notable, with 74.38% of respondents agreeing that the time required for documentation impedes patient care.
Most respondents noted that the EHR is difficult to use. Only 31.76% of all respondents (21.9% physicians, 38% nurses) agree or strongly agree that documenting patient care using electronic health records is easy. Reacting to the ease of use of the EHR, only 31.76% of all respondents agreed or strongly agreed that they found it easy to use, including 21.9% of physicians and 38% of nurses. Additionally, 23.62% of respondents were neutral, neither agreeing nor disagreeing, with 21.3% of physicians and 23.5% of nurses in this category. A significant 44.61% disagreed or strongly disagreed, indicating difficulties with system usability, with 56.9% of physicians and 38.5% of nurses expressing dissatisfaction.
The TrendBurden Survey will be administered again in early fall 2024, seeking to broaden its reach even further in the health professional community. These ongoing assessments will help track changes over time nationally and guide stakeholders, policymakers, and healthcare organizations in implementing strategies to reduce excessive documentation burden. This effort is critical in fostering a healthcare environment that supports both the quality of patient care and the well-being of healthcare professionals.
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AMIA, the leading professional association for informatics professionals, is the center of action for 5,500 informatics professionals from more than 65 countries. As the voice of the nation’s top biomedical and health informatics professionals, AMIA and its members play a leading role in assessing the effect of health innovations on health policy and advancing the field of informatics. AMIA actively supports five domains in informatics: translational bioinformatics, clinical research informatics, clinical informatics, consumer health informatics, and public health informatics.