KLAS Report Demonstrates Value in Virtual, Self-Directed EHR Training

While clinicians report at-the-elbow EHR training as the most useful, alternate training methods such as self-directed eLearning could present the best value for clinician time savings, according to a KLAS Arch Collaborative report.

At-the-elbow training requires significant time and resources across an enterprise. KLAS suggested that organizations consider which kind of EHR training content clinicians should learn at the elbow and which training clinicians could receive through more scalable methods, such as classroom or virtual training sessions.

According to clinicians’ self-reported data, classroom training is the most common method by which they receive EHR education.

However, self-directed eLearning may generate the biggest bang for the buck in terms of time savings for clinicians. eLearning sessions most commonly last less than an hour (compared to three to eight hours for a typical classroom training session) and can generate a significant ROI in clinician time savings.

On average, clinicians who participate in self-directed eLearning report saving 20 to 25 minutes per week in the EHR for every 15 minutes of eLearning.

“This demonstrates that self-directed eLearning can be a valuable tool for communicating simple, straightforward information that improves clinician efficiency,” the KLAS authors emphasized.

Virtual instructor-led training produces many of the same positive impacts as in-person classroom training and is more scalable.

At the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, organizations had to transition to virtual training almost overnight, resulting in an Arch Collaborative-wide decline in training satisfaction.

However, virtual training satisfaction has increased since 2020 as organizations have learned to make it more effective. Some Arch Collaborative members have found success replicating the in-person experience by providing interactive instructors and curriculum.

The report also found that almost half (46 percent) of clinicians who took the Arch Collaborative survey said they do not need more ongoing EHR training. However, these clinicians do not report significantly higher EHR satisfaction than peers who want more training.

KLAS suggested that healthcare organizations shift the EHR training narrative to EHR mastery to improve staff desire for training. Across clinical disciplines, the most common sentiment among clinicians who don’t want more training is that they already feel proficient with the EHR.

While these respondents’ Net EHR Experience Score (NEES) indicates that this perception is likely accurate, even well-performing clinicians have weak spots. The authors emphasized that the aim should be EHR mastery, not proficiency.

KLAS also suggested organizations demonstrate time savings to motivate clinicians to prioritize EHR training. Healthcare organizations can report data on time savings to clinicians from after-training surveys, year-over-year EHR experience data, or clinician usage data provided by the EHR vendor.