We developed and evaluated an electronic medical record (EMR)-integrated data retrieval system to streamline the creation of adverse drug event reports. The system enables users to interactively select laboratory test results and medication data from the EMR database, reducing manual transcription tasks. Six physicians participated in the study, completing six simulated cases using both the conventional paper-based method and the developed system. The time required for report creation, the number of non-narrative fields completed, and the total number of characters in narrative fields were compared between the two methods. The findings revealed that the EMR-integrated system significantly reduced the time needed to complete reports (p = 0.03) while assuring accuracy and the level of informational detail. Furthermore, subjective evaluations indicated a reduction in frustration and workload, as well as high usability ratings. The system's versatility was enhanced by a conversion table that standardized facility-specific codes for laboratory and medication data, thereby enabling seamless integration across institutions. Given the established association between prolonged EMR use and physician burnout, the EMR-integrated system addresses a critical need by alleviating the documentation burden on healthcare professionals. Its potential scalability to other types of medical documentation could further contribute to improving working conditions in the medical field.
Konishi et al. (Thu,) studied this question.