Ideal Approaches to Improve Your Operational Time by Digitizing your Tasks

From this pearl of wisdom from one of the greatest American physicians, we can understand the importance of time in a physician’s work life. Duty to the patient is a professional responsibility that predominantly occupies a physician’s calendar. Optimal use of physicians’ time can save many lives.

However, in reality, a physician’s workday is not spent entirely on treating patients. A study published in the Annals of Internal Medicine in 2016 revealed that during the office day, physicians spent 27.0% of their total time on direct clinical face time with patients and 49.2% of their time on EHR and desk work. While in the examination room with patients, physicians spent 52.9% of the time on direct clinical face time and 37.0% on EHR and desk work. Some physicians who completed after-hours diaries reported 1 to 2 hours of after-hours work each night, devoted mostly to EHR tasks.

The Medscape Physician Compensation Report 2020 states that both internists and infectious disease specialists average between 18-19 hours per week on paperwork and administration.