Today, over 40% of providers still report at least one burnout symptom, according to the AMA, especially as technology frustrations and workflow inefficiencies continue to mount. Although EHRs are designed to streamline healthcare operations, the user experience for many providers remains a significant cause for IT-related fatigue.
Before focusing on advancing digital initiatives, healthcare organizations must first address operational barriers and process gaps within their EHR systems. Placing provider needs at the center of technical optimization, through a personalized EHR system coaching program, can reduce provider frustration and burnout while delivering greater value from technology investments.
According to Stoltenberg Consulting’s 12th Annual HIT Outlook Report, “onboarding and/or lack of continuous technology training” is the top IT-related support frustration among end users this year. When EHR support is not an organizational priority, providers often spend excessive time on documentation after hours and struggle with interfaces that don’t align with their workflows. These ongoing EHR challenges can encroach on personal time, lower job satisfaction, and add to already demanding workloads.
By implementing a provider EHR coaching program, healthcare organizations can offer clinical teams support that goes beyond typical IT training. Coaching programs deliver one-on-one guidance tailored to individual workflows and specialty-specific needs, empowering clinicians to work more efficiently and reduce their administrative burden. EHR optimization coaches also assist providers in navigating system settings to enable personalized configurations for greater day-to-day satisfaction. Ensuring ongoing access and continuous education throughout EHR upgrades or modifications consistently reduces EHR knowledge gaps and frustration. Ultimately, clinically focused coaching helps develop EHR super users. By boosting technology confidence amongst providers, healthcare organizations can also strengthen clinical buy-in for future IT initiatives.
Beyond provider satisfaction, EHR usability is a key factor in driving organizational efficiency. When end users lack necessary technical skills, healthcare facilities face longer patient visit times, documentation delays, increased IT support tickets, and persistent setbacks due to turnover and onboarding disruptions.
While initial technical walkthroughs are a common training tool, EHR provider coaching delivers amplified support with real-time tips that reduce clicks, streamline navigation, and limit workarounds for maximum workflow efficiency. By spending less time navigating the system, clinicians can devote more time to patient care. EHR coaching also leads to improved documentation accuracy, fewer errors, and greater consistency in data entry. As a result, IT support teams face fewer recurring tickets and escalations. Furthermore, effective coaching encourages clinicians to adopt advanced EHR features that often go unused, unlocking greater value from the system overall.
When providers lack adequate EHR support, the consequences are often felt in the quality of patient experiences.
Unsurprisingly, a Black Book Survey found that 85% of clinicians believe that lackluster technical support negatively impacts their ability to deliver effective patient care. When technical support issues disrupt physician-patient interactions, visits can feel rushed and transactional, diminishing the overall quality of care.
When customized EHR coaching is introduced at healthcare facilities, IT trainers can collaborate with clinicians to streamline care delivery, improve patient record accuracy, and boost informed clinical care decision-making. With effective EHR support, appointments run more smoothly, allowing for increased time dedicated to meaningful patient interactions. Whether it’s onboarding, major upgrades, or workflow shifts, scalable EHR coaching programs can ensure patients remain unaffected by operational transitions. Moreover, clinical coaching fosters a culture of continuous learning and innovation among providers, promoting exploration of new technologies to further improve patient care.
Healthcare organizations aiming to improve provider satisfaction, operational efficiency, and patient outcomes should treat EHR coaching as an essential part of their advanced digital health approach. Now is the time to re-examine clinician support models and make coaching a foundational component of long-term EHR investment strategies. By empowering IT teams to champion provider support, organizations position themselves for sustainable success in an increasingly complex healthcare environment.
To explore how to reduce EHR-related clinician burnout, learn more about ProviderCare for eClinicalWorks and NextGen system users.