Female physicians see fewer patients but spend relatively more time working in EHRs, which results in lower productivity, but recent coding changes have helped level the playing field, according to a recent study published in Journal of General Internal Medicine.
A team led by researchers from New Haven, Conn.-based Yale University set out to determine if quantifying EHR use could help explain the pay gap between female and male physicians. The study pulled from data on physician productivity, electronic health records use and physician and practice characteristics from general internal medicine physicians practicing in an ambulatory network in the northeastern United States. It then estimated productivity through work relative value units.
The study found that women saw fewer patients, spent more time per patient, and spent more time in the EHR relative to the number of patients they saw compared with male physicians, which resulted in female physicians generating fewer wRVUs. Reducing the time spent on documentation and increasing contributions from other team members could help boost physician productivity, the researchers said.
The study also found that overall physician productivity grew following changes in 2021 to the codes documenting medical services and procedures, which were updated so healthcare providers bill for the time they spend on patient care as opposed to the complexity of the visit, but the effect was more pronounced among female physicians.