Implementation of electronic charting is not associated with significant change in physician productivity in an academic emergency department

Objectives: To compare physician productivity and billing before and after implementation of electronic charting in an academic ED.
Materials and Methods: This retrospective, blinded, observational study compared the 6 months pre-implementation (January to June 2012) with the 6 months post-implementation one year later (January to June 2013). Thirty-one ED physicians were recruited, with each physician acting as his/her own control in a before-after design. Productivity was measured via total number of encounters and “productivity index” defined as worked relative value units divided by the clinical full-time equivalent. Values for charges, encounters and productivity index were determined during each study period and separately for procedures, observational stays, and critical care.
Results: No differences were found for total productivity index per month (758 [628,876] pre-group vs. 756 [673,886] post-group; p=NS). There was, however, a 9% decrease in total encounters per month (136...