Physicians who use electronic health record systems experience more administrative burdens than their peers who use paper records, according to a study published in the International Journal of Health Services. For the study, researchers from the City University of New York analyzed data from the 2008 Health Tracking Physician Survey -- the most recent available -- to gauge how much time physicians spend on administrative tasks. The data included a nationally representative sample of 4,720 physicians who practiced 20 or more hours per weeks. The study found that physicians who used EHRs reported spending about 17% of their working hours on administrative tasks, compared with 15.5% of those who used paper records.
