Time off

Electronic health record (EHR)–based patient portals have enabled asynchronous communication between patients and physicians1,2 but have contributed to fragmented and inefficient work and subsequent physician burnout.3,4 In response, a large ambulatory network in the Western US set aside 1 appointment slot per half-day for physicians to complete asynchronous EHR-based tasks, such as messaging, prior authorizations, and prescription refills, at the physician’s discretion. We assessed changes in productivity and EHR use associated with this intervention relative to a control practice network.