When electronic health records (EHR) debuted in the 1960s, the promise seemed so logical. Let computers do the data work, while people focus more on the clinical work. Not only would documentation and billing be more accurate and efficient, but care would improve. 

But through the decades, as technology has evolved and EHRs are the status quo for many behavioral healthcare organizations, the question remains: Is technology fulfilling its promise of putting the focus back on clients? Or is it so time-consuming and complicated that it’s making things worse? 

Technology Expectations vs. Reality 

Behavioral health organizations are struggling with burnout, turnover, and meeting growing demand for services. They expect technology to help them overcome these challenges, not worsen them.

Looking closer at EHRs, providers expect tools designed to support their specific workflows. They want completing documentation to be easy. They want access to their clients’ complete health and medical information to design personalized and targeted treatment plans. 

Clients expect the ability to be active participants in their care. They want to schedule and manage appointments, access their health information in real time, and communicate and exchange information with providers. 

But in many cases, technology has made the workload more burdensome. Outdated, rigid EHR systems force users to spend too much time on administrative functions and adapt their workflow to meet the demands of the software — instead of the other way around. 

In fact, a third of the nation’s behavioral health workforce reported spending most of their time on administrative tasks, with 68% of providers saying the amount of time spent on administrative tasks takes away time they could be directly supporting clients. 

That seems in direct contradiction to what EHRs should be doing. 

Behavioral Health and Burnout: By the Numbers 

The same survey found that 93% of behavioral health workers have experienced burnout, with most suffering from moderate or severe levels. Nearly half also say the impacts of workforce shortages have caused them to consider leaving their job. Now, there aren’t enough professionals to meet the growing need: 

• In 2021, fewer than half of people with a mental illness were able to access timely care. Those with substance use disorders were even less likely. 
• As of 2023, 160 million Americans live in areas with mental health professional shortages, with over 8,000 more professionals needed to ensure an adequate supply. 
• Over 25% of Americans will need behavioral health services by 2026, and the growth rate for behavioral health professionals needed to keep up with increasing demand is 3X higher than average, per the Bureau of Labor Statistics. 

With these stats in mind, it’s no surprise that retaining staff and making them feel more supported is one of the main factors driving procurement decisions for provider organizations. Leaders of these organizations know the right technology can help bridge the gap between increasing demand and a workforce shortage. 

Evaluating Your EHR Options  

As technology continues to evolve at increasing speed, so do consumers’ expectations — and EHRs simply have to keep up. Yet many providers have been limited by their systems for so long that it’s hard to see what could be possible with the modern tools available today.  

Consider these questions to identify the main factors getting in the way of staff productivity: 

• How many clinical users would say their EHR meets their expectations and helps them spend more time with clients?  
• How easily can someone collect and manage documentation, assessments, progress notes, etc. in real time? 
• How often do workers have to double key the same information in multiple places? 
• How accessible is information while staff are in the field? 
• How clearly is information displayed on a mobile device? 
• How easily can staff engage clients? How is the client’s experience? 
• Can a novice user search the system to easily and quickly find a specific piece of information? 

And these questions to determine if your organization is getting everything you need: 

• Are you able to keep up with new policies and state reporting/billing requirements?  
• How easily can you add or make changes to reports, forms, assessments, etc.?  
• How easily can you integrate/exchange data with state systems or other providers? 
• Can you report meaningfully on the data in your system? Does that data help you understand service delivery trends, determine if you’re meeting KPIs, or identify areas for improvement? 
• How predictable are your EHR costs? 

Any one of these issues could cause your staff to feel unsupported and stand in the way of your organization’s ability to keep up with increasing demand. And if multiple challenges continue to compound, it’ll be incredibly tough to break the burnout cycle. 

Key Features That Count

So, what features do make a difference? We’ll dive deeper into this topic next week, but here’s a quick preview: 

• Engaging for clients. A key part of modern EHR benefits is meaningful client engagement. The more informed and engaged they feel, the better the treatment can be. 
• Competitive with consumer technology. Today’s workers have high expectations that all tools should be as easy as the apps they use every day. That means intuitive user interfaces, familiar design, and the ability to personalize their settings. 
• Modern. Modern EHRs can leverage native browser tools like voice-to-text and language translation, plus integrate cutting-edge AI tools, for a superior user experience.  
• Mobile. Not being able to access the EHR on your mobile device can lead to inadequate care, poor quality of data captured, and staff and client frustration. This is increasingly important as more organizations focus on meeting clients where they are. 
• Configurable. Any system must be easy to update, expand, and maintain. If you can’t easily adapt it to your workflow, that’s not practical.  

The promise of EHRs was to minimize administrative burdens, but outdated and rigid systems often add to them instead. With burnout and workforce shortages at critical levels, choosing the right technology is no longer optional — it is essential. Leaders must evaluate whether their current EHR systems genuinely support staff, improve client engagement, and adapt to growing demands. When they do, these modern solutions can be a powerful ally in empowering behavioral health organizations to elevate care and improve lives.