JAMA Netw Open

Primary care physicians frequently use EHRs during paid time off

March 14, 2025

Electronic health record (EHR) use during paid time off (PTO) may contribute to physician burnout and reduced work-life balance. Addressing this issue could involve implementing policies to limit EHR access during PTO and providing additional support to manage patient care and administrative duties. This could ultimately improve physician well-being and patient care quality.

Study design: This retrospective cohort study analyzed EHR user action logs from January 2022 to July 2023 for primary care physicians (PCPs) in a large academic and community health care system. Approved by the Wake Forest University School of Medicine's institutional review board, the study included family and internal medicine clinicians working at ≥0.5 full-time equivalent.

Results: A substantial proportion of PCPs accessed EHRs during their PTO. Clinicians logged a median of 16.1 minutes of EHR time per PTO day and spent a median of 50% of days during shorter vacation blocks with some EHR use. Data indicate that many PCPs felt compelled to manage patient care and administrative tasks even while on leave.

Source:

Obermiller C, et al. (2025, March 3). JAMA Netw Open. Electronic Health Record Use During Paid Time Off Among Primary Care Physicians. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40067304/