We’re proud to share a recent publication in the Rhode Island Medical Journal (RIMJ) co-authored by Healthcentric Advisors team members Jacqueline Haskell, MS, and Rebekah L. Gardner, MD: COVID Impact on Physician EHR Workload: A Hidden Epidemic?
The study examines whether physician electronic health record (EHR) workload was associated with increases in COVID-19 cases across U.S. regions, using Epic EHR workload measures from May 2019 to May 2022 across nearly 500,000 outpatient physicians and other physicians.
Highlights from the publication:
- The relationship between COVID-19 rates and EHR workload varied by specialty.
- For primary care physicians, increases in regional disease prevalence were associated with significant increases in In Basket time and “pajama time” (time outside scheduled work hours).
- Across all participants, overall EHR workload increased over the course of the pandemic.
The authors conclude that COVID-19 rates were associated with changes in physician workloads, especially in primary care, and that these findings may help inform future pandemic workload planning.
Read the full publication (PDF): http://www.rimed.org/rimedicaljournal/2026/02/2026-02-60-study-hilliard.pdf
