A study by the insurance arm of the American Medical Association estimated that up to two-thirds of physicians aged 40–69-years old work 40–60 hours a week. An alarming 20% log up to 80 hours, which helps explain why physician burnout is at an all-time high.
The COVID-19 pandemic has worsened physician burnout to an unprecedented degree. A study published in the British Medical Journal suggested that physician burnout currently affects 2 of 3 internal medicine physicians. Women, ethnic minority physicians, and physicians directly involved in COVID-19 care were more likely to report feelings of exhaustion. Across the board, burnout was compounded by “unfulfilling tasks” that distracted from patient-centered activities. Electronic health records (EHRs) were frequently cited as a source of frustration because they are “inefficient and time-consuming”. In some cases, poorly constructed EHRs required two hours of work for every hour of patient care.
Wellsheet provides an intuitive, customizable, and actionable dashboard that allows physicians to optimize their EHR workflow. It seamlessly integrates with existing EHRs and is accessible with a single click in the patient chart within the EHR. Wellsheet presents a fully customizable and prioritized dashboard, so that, for example, an orthopedic surgeon can have radiographs displayed at the top of his page, and an internist can have a summary of the patient’s labs. The interface feels familiar and does not require any special training.
From an operations standpoint, Wellsheet accelerates clinical insights through patented machine-learning algorithms. It prioritizes important clinical content and assembles the most relevant information into a smart and efficient workflow.
Since it launched in 2015, Wellsheet has been adopted by clinics and hospitals across the United States. It is integrated with both Cerner and Epic and available on their respective app stores. Physicians at RWJBarnabas Health have reported that it has reduced the time spent in the EHR by over 40% and contributed to a 20% improvement in patient throughput and efficiency. On the whole, 86% of Wellsheet’s physician-users are satisfied with the app. The remaining 14% are highly satisfied according to research conducted by independent researcher KLAS Research.
The success of Wellsheet proves that there is a significant space in the healthcare industry for a physician-friendly interface that extends across multiple EHRs. Wellsheet shortens the amount of time needed to review and complete documentation, which frees up more hours for actual patient care. In addition to giving clinicians more time to spend with patients, Wellsheet also improves the quality of care delivered, highlighting key gaps in care that might otherwise be missed. For example, Wellsheet can process free text in echocardiogram reports to identify if patients are candidates for life-saving procedures like TAVR (a less invasive alternative to open-heart surgery) or relevant clinical trials. All of this results in happier clinicians and healthier patients.
References
2. https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/11/5/e050380
3. https://www.rand.org/pubs/research_reports/RR439.html
7. https://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/doctor-patient-relationship-improves-your-health
8. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21747020/
