UCSF CME – Managing the EHR Inbox 2023
The use of EHR-enabled secure messaging exploded during the Covid-19 pandemic. While patients value digitally-facilitated asynchronous communication, clinicians continue to receive a steady stream of messages from patients, other members of the care team, and automatically generated notifications, and may feel crushed by the expectation of 24/7/365 availability as they the need to spend several hours each day keeping up with inbox messages. In response, health systems are struggling to manage the inbox burden of their clinicians while being responsive to their patients’ needs and preferences.