Electronic health record impacts on family medicine teachers: Survey of third-year medical student clerkship preceptors at an academic medical center

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Electronic Health Record (EHR) use in clinical practice has accelerated in recent years. While several aspects of EHR use have been extensively studied, there is little data on EHR impacts on medical student educators, especially those involved in outpatient family medicine. This study evaluated perceived impacts of EHR use on clinician teachers of outpatient family medicine. METHODS: The study used a mixed methods survey of clinicians who teach third-year medical students during the required family and community medicine outpatient clerkship at a Mid-Atlantic medical school. RESULTS: Among 50 completed surveys, most respondents reported that the EHR had impacted their teaching (70% reported at least one negative effect; 84% reported at least one positive effect). Positive impacts included more easily viewing information, more effectively teaching evidence-based medicine, and teaching about EHR use itself. Negative impacts included less time teaching or interacting with students, and a perception that EHR use impedes development of students’ critical thinking and clinical integration skills. Providers who have taught medical students both with and without EHR in place (P=.024), those over 50 years old (P=.019), and those with at least 5 years teaching experience (P=.006) were more likely to report negative impacts. CONCLUSIONS: Most preceptors reported that EHR use had both positive and negative impacts on their teaching of medical students, though the negative effects were perceived by respondents as more substantial, consistent with a theme of decreased enthusiasm for teaching due to EHR use. These findings can be used to help inform faculty development and education initiatives.