Clinician Perceptions of Transition From Legacy Electronic Health Record to MHS GENESIS: A Pilot Study

ABSTRACT Introduction The implementation of a new electronic health record (EHR) presents significant challenges as users navigate a new interface. Our institution was an early adopter of MHS GENESIS (MHSG), the MHS’s new EHR. This study investigated provider perceptions of usability and the prevalence of burnout during an EHR transition from the Legacy system (LEHR) utilizing online, anonymous surveys before implementation and at several points post-implementation. Materials and Methods Clinician satisfaction, perceptions of EHR impact on safety, communication, reliability, and chart completion were assessed on five-point Likert scales. Usability was assessed using the validated System Usability Scale (SUS). Burnout prevalence was assessed using a validated single-item measure. Data were gathered via online, anonymous surveys before implementation and at 1, 3-6, and 9-12 months post “Go-Live.” Results Of 367 clinicians, 56 responded to the baseline survey; on average, 29% of responses were positive (i.e., satisfied or very satisfied) with LEHR. Following implementation, an average of 47%, 37%, and 47% of responses were positive for MHSG at 1 months (n = 42), 6 months (n = 55), and 12 months (n = 30), respectively. The mean SUS for LEHR was 48 (on a scale of 1-100); for MHSG, the mean SUS was 48 (1 month), 41 (6 months), and 44 (12 months). The burnout rate was reported as 39% (baseline), 26% (1 month), 33% (6 months), and 37% (12 months). Conclusions Perceptions of system usability, physician satisfaction, and burnout were not remarkably different between the two systems. Study results imply a need for further investigation as to why most clinicians continue to be unsatisfied with MHSG and wish to return to LEHR and whether or how this EHR transition contributed to burnout or if other factors are more contributory in this population. Future studies could also explore whether changes in the clinician interface, training, or implementation process impact clinician satisfaction, burnout, and desire to return to LEHR, or if these measures change with longer follow-up or in more varied populations.