“Information Overload” Cited for Missed Test Results in EHRs

Primary care providers using the Department of Veterans Affairs’ electronic health record (EHR) system report receiving an average of 63 electronic test notifications each day, according to survey results published online by JAMA Internal Medicine, with nearly 70% of respondents indicating the number of alerts was more than they could effectively manage. More than half (56%) of the 2,590 responding physicians stated that their EHR system as currently implemented made it possible for test results to be missed, and 30% reported that they had personally missed results and that this missing information contributed to delayed care.