Combating Orthopedist Burnout with Specialty-Specific Technology

Although all physicians suffer from burnout to some degree, some feel it more keenly than others. According to a recent survey in the Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery, orthopedic surgeons have one of the highest burnout rates, with nearly half the specialty expressing feelings of emotional frustration, depression and depletion.

One cause of provider dissatisfaction stems from the increasing amount of non-clinical tasks orthopedists must complete. Without efficient systems in place, a doctor can spend a significant portion of his or her day engaging in repetitive tasks, tracking down information, navigating technology and so on. Given the volume of patients the typical orthopedist sees, these small aggravations can quickly escalate into larger problems.

When addressing orthopedist burnout it's important to look at the technology used in a practice and make sure it is specifically designed to meet the specialty’s unique needs. Leveraging a focused solution like Nextech’s Orthopedic EHR, SRSPro, allows physicians to gain efficiencies while avoiding revenue loss. Here are a few ways Nextech’s new technology can help decrease burnout.

Keeping the patient first without losing revenue.

When capturing the patient encounter, orthopedists are looking for both a streamlined documentation experience that lets them spend more time with patients, and a way to use automation to ensure comprehensive revenue capture. With SRSPro, orthopedists can customize their frequently-used descriptions, orders and codes to make charting faster while still collecting the required information to drive revenue.

Preventing mistakes due to missing information.

When a chart doesn’t include the necessary information for proper care and reimbursement, one of two things can happen. Either physicians have to spend time hunting for information, or they may overlook certain factors because of missing data that could lead to the wrong care plan. Both can cause further stress for physicians and practice teams.

By using a system that is designed for Orthopedics, physicians can be confident that the chart includes all the pertinent information and prompts, such as common medications, frequent care pathways, PDMP (prescription drug monitoring program) checks and more. Providers can also easily access outcomes data at the point of care to monitor patients’ responses to therapy and identify intervention opportunities as they arise. Not only does this allow for better quality care, but it can yield optimal reimbursement.

Stripping away red tape.

According to a recent study, the overwhelming amount of bureaucratic tasks in healthcare is one of the leading causes of physician burnout. However, with innovative technology tools, such as the Smart Workflows found in Nextech’s SRSPro, data entry becomes role-based, which simplifies charting requirements without diminishing specificity or compliance. 

If orthopedists want to include more detail outside of the system’s customizable tools, the SRSPro technology also seamlessly links to several dictation and transcription solutions that can lift the charting burden and allow for even more detail.

An important problem to tackle

Getting a handle on physician burnout should be a top priority for every physician practice. By employing technology that responds to orthopedists’ administrative pain points, your practice can alleviate some of the frustration and foster a more empowering environment for physicians, staff and patients.

Learn more about Nextech's orthopedic solution at www.nextech.com/orthopedic/ehr-software