Physicians' complex relationships with health information technology (HIT): A cross-sectional survey study of HIT and burnout (Preprint)

BACKGROUND Health information technology (HIT), while designed to improve practice efficiency and patient care, can contribute to physician burnout and impact health care delivery. OBJECTIVE This study examines the contribution of specific HIT functions to alleviate and predict physician burnout within the differing health landscapes of Ontario (ON) and Nova Scotia (NS), with particular attention to administrative burdens, interoperability and system integration and clinician perceptions of HIT. METHODS We designed a mixed methods study and developed a questionnaire to identify HIT characteristics that contribute to, alleviate, and predict clinician burnout in Ontario (ON) and Nova Scotia (NS). The survey was distributed February to April of 2024. Subgroup differences in HIT-related burnout were analysed and qualitative coding of the open-text questions generated critical insights. RESULTS Despite differences in the samples, the HIT uses, and care models, common experiences were apparent. “Managing communications related to patient care” and “inputting data into your EMR” were among both samples’ top three administrative burdens. While “logging in and out of technology platforms” ranked higher in NS, the related theme of integration and interoperability was prominent in both samples. Perceptions of HIT were associated with self-reported burnout score. CONCLUSIONS While physicians see the advantages of HIT in patient care, overwhelming documentation burdens and disjointedness across data platforms contribute to their burnout. Greater ongoing involvement by end users in the design, implementation and use, along with improved standardization and interoperability would reduce these burdens while maintaining the benefits of digital health systems.