Physicians Identify Top EHR Issues Requiring Immediate Attention: AI-Powered Documentation Automation Emerges as Leading 2026 Priority, Black Book Annual Survey
Physicians ' urgent call for EHR improvements aims to significantly reduce burnout and enhance clinical workflows
NEW YORK CITY, NY / ACCESS Newswire / July 11, 2025 /In the face of escalating clinician burnout rates affecting nearly 55% of hospital-affiliated physicians, urgent improvements in Electronic Health Record (EHR) systems have become paramount, according to the latest Q2-Q3 polling by Black Book Research. The survey polled 274 physicians and healthcare practitioners affiliated with U.S. hospital health systems, asking each participant to identify their single most critical EHR improvement from six key areas to immediately enhance clinical efficiency and patient care delivery.
AI-Powered Documentation Automation emerged as the top urgent priority, selected by 37% of respondents. Physicians underscored the transformative potential of intelligent automation, noting that manual clinical documentation consumes up to half of their daily time. Leveraging artificial intelligence to streamline documentation could significantly alleviate workload pressures and enhance clinician satisfaction.
The second-highest priority, cited by 26% of participants, is improving Interoperability andSeamless Data Integration. Respondents highlighted ongoing challenges, with 63% experiencing delays or difficulties accessing critical patient information across different systems weekly. Enhanced data-sharing capabilities and compliance with interoperability standards are considered essential to reducing clinical inefficiencies and supporting high-quality care coordination.
Clinician-Centric User Experience (UX) Redesign ranked third, chosen by 17% of respondents. Practitioners emphasized the need for intuitive, physician-driven design, with 72% stating current EHR interfaces contribute significantly to workplace frustration and fatigue.
Enhanced Clinical Decision Support (CDS) tools, prioritized by 12% of participants, highlight physicians ' desire for fewer but more relevant alerts. Mobile and Device-Agnostic Access (7%) underscores growing demand for flexible EHR platforms accessible across various devices, particularly given that 80% of respondents regularly access patient data remotely.
Rapid System Responsiveness, selected by 4%, points to frustrations with slow EHR system performance, with 51% of physicians experiencing productivity-impacting lag time or downtime at least monthly.
The survey also revealed clear physician expectations of EHR vendors:
78% expect significant system improvements by year-end 2025.
42% expressed willingness to switch vendors if substantial improvements are not delivered within two years.
86% confirmed they had formally communicated these concerns to their EHR vendors, underscoring the urgency of action.
"Physicians have clearly articulated the areas where EHR systems continue to hinder rather than help," said Doug Brown, Founder of Black Book Research. "Addressing these top concerns, particularly documentation automation and interoperability, is critical not only to reducing clinician burnout but to ensuring consistent and high-quality patient care. EHR vendors and healthcare IT departments must swiftly respond to these priorities to maintain clinician trust and satisfaction."
Ranked Survey Results:
AI-Powered Documentation Automation - 35%
Interoperability and Seamless Data Integration - 25%
Clinician-Centric User Experience (UX) Redesign - 17%
Enhanced Clinical Decision Support (CDS) - 12%
Mobile and Device-Agnostic Access - 7%
Rapid System Responsiveness - 4%
About Black Book Research:
Black Book Research is an independent, vendor-agnostic research firm providing insights and analysis based on unbiased, comprehensive market surveys. Utilizing robust methodologies, including flash surveys, online panels, and mobile polling, Black Book delivers actionable data and real-time insights for healthcare leaders nationwide.
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SOURCE: Black Book Research
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