The tedious and time-consuming workload posed by electronic health record (EHR) data entry for administrative and billing purposes has been identified as one of factors contributing to physician burnout. As a US based medical transcription company, we are well aware of the EHR/EMR data entry for physicians and have reported on how integrating transcription into these systems can help overcome this challenge. Studies highlight the important role of medical transcription in ensuring accurate and effective EHR clinical documentation. In this post, we explore the key benefits of medical transcription services for physicians.
Study Highlights Vital Role of Medical Transcriptionists in Clinical Documentation
A study by the University of Wisconsin and the American Medical Association (AMA), reported by EHR Intelligence, highlights how medical transcription support plays a key role in improving the quality of clinical documentation while also helping to reduce the time physicians spend in front of their screens. The study showed that data entry tasks associated with EHR systems are significantly cutting into available time for physicians to engage with patients.
Researchers evaluated data pertaining to 142 family medicine physicians using a single Epic EHR system in southern Wisconsin. They captured EHR interactions both during clinic hours (defined as 8:00 AM to 6:00 PM Monday through Friday) and outside clinic hours over a three-year period. They analyzed event logging records and assigned each event to one of 15 EHR task categories and found that providers spent an especially significant portion of their workday on documentation and computerized physician order entry (CPOE). The key findings of the study are as follows:
- Clinicians spent approximately 5.9 hours of an 11.4-hour workday on EHR data entry
- 4.5 of the 5.9 hours took during clinical hours and about 1.5 occurred during off-hours
- Clerical and administrative duties such as clinical documentation, order entry, billing and coding, and system security made up about half of the total EHR data entry time
- Inbox management accounted for a quarter of the time spent using EHRs
The researchers noted that clinician burnout and workload stem not from the EHR itself, but from factors like poor task allocation and shifting federal regulations that disrupt clinical workflows. They argued that offloading certain EHR data entry tasks could reduce physician workload, enhance job satisfaction, and lower burnout risk.
They emphasized the value of medical transcription services in improving documentation quality and saving physicians time. They recommended eliminating the use of CPOE and instead using dictation or handwritten orders delegated to support staff.
While EHR templates may boost efficiency, they often compromise note quality compared to dictated and transcribed documentation. The researchers advised making documentation support staff and training readily available to interested clinicians.
Key Observations on EHR Clinical Documentation:
- There’s limited evidence that virtual care tools (telehealth, portals, video consults) improve health outcomes.
- Verbal communication remains the most effective method among clinical teams; overreliance on EHRs for this is discouraged.
- Hospitals can analyze EHR task categories to better understand how physicians spend their time.
- Identifying EHR best practices from top-performing teams can enhance clinician satisfaction.
- Improving EHR usability is essential to support provider satisfaction.
However, during a six-week observation, few physicians used transcription or voice-recognition tools, despite the researchers’ support and recommendations.
In response to study findings, the American Medical Association (AMA) called on health IT developers to improve EHR design and usability. The AMA outlines eight key priorities to enhance EHR systems, emphasizing the need to:
- Enhance physicians’ ability to deliver high-quality care
- Support team-based workflows
- Promote seamless care coordination
- Ensure product modularity and customization
- Reduce clinicians’ cognitive burden
- Enable easy data sharing (data liquidity)
- Facilitate digital and mobile patient engagement
- Incorporate user input in design and ongoing improvements
The study suggests that improving EHR efficiency would not only streamline workflows but also reduce physician burnout and improve patient care outcomes.
Incorporating Transcriptionist Quality Checks into EPR System Design
A ResearchGate publication explored the quality-assurance work done by medical transcriptionists when creating medical records and how this work should be considered when designing structured electronic patient record (EPR) systems that require physicians to handle documentation themselves. Researchers used both qualitative and quantitative methods—gathering insights from informal discussions, focus groups, and daily logs of transcriptionists’ quality checks. The findings reveal that transcriptionists play a vital role in maintaining record accuracy, making over six corrections per day on average, with about one in three dictations needing changes. The study recommends that these important quality-assurance efforts be factored into the design of EPR systems.
Boost Accuracy and Efficiency with Transcription Outsourcing
As healthcare systems continue to evolve with the integration of EHRs and digital tools, the need for accurate, efficient clinical documentation remains critical. Studies consistently highlight the vital role medical transcriptionists play in maintaining documentation quality and reducing the administrative burden on physicians. Outsourcing medical transcription offers a practical solution to support clinicians, improve workflow efficiency, and ensure high-quality records—all while allowing providers to focus more on patient care. For healthcare organizations aiming to enhance productivity and reduce burnout, this approach is indeed a smart, cost-effective one.
