Preventing cardiologist burnout is a significant yet frequently overlooked issue. According to Medscape’s Physician Burnout & Depression Report 2024, 47 percent of cardiologists reported experiencing burnout, a four percent increase from the previous year. Additionally, 53 percent of cardiologists indicated they would accept a pay cut in exchange for a better work-life balance.
According to the report, the top burnout contributor is, “Too many bureaucratic tasks (e.g., charting, paperwork).” Providers—specifically electrophysiologists (EPs) and their clinic support staff—are overwhelmed by the administrative paperwork and data entry caused by the tremendous amount of data being transmitted from today’s implantable cardiac devices.
EPs diagnose and treat heart conduction problems, managing extensive data from sophisticated implantable devices and overseeing large patient populations. This high-stress environment makes addressing burnout crucial for their well-being and the well-being of support staff.
Administrative work isn’t getting any lighter
Rapid innovation will continue to produce more complex and capable CIEDs, meaning a skyrocketing amount of clinically relevant data is inevitable. Growing data burdens can overwhelm and encumber EPs and clinic staff if they lack the tools to efficiently manage this information.
Logging into multiple systems and navigating numerous administrative tasks to deliver and document care are significant contributors to EP burnout. Clinics are using outdated tools and technologies to manage CIED data, and EPs and clinic staff are paying the price for it.
Tackling burnout with next-generation CIED management technology
Murj is purpose-built software designed to streamline clinic workflows and automate provider and staff “bureaucratic tasks” to alleviate burnout.
Murj harnesses the power of technology to transform care delivery, bringing greater joy and satisfaction to providers and staff. We develop and deploy software solutions that simplify CIED information management, facilitate efficient workflows, and enable providers to use data to make smarter decisions. Put simply, streamlining the modern CIED clinic is our bread and butter. And reducing provider burnout is not just a happy byproduct of that, it’s why we do what we do.
Anytime, anywhere access means improved provider flexibility
According to the Journal of the American College of Cardiology (JACC), a “thriving workplace” exists when providers are supported in achieving a healthy work-life balance. The JACC underscores the importance of cardiologists having flexibility in managing their hours and work obligations. A significant majority of cardiologists who reported feeling completely burned out identified a lack of control over their workload as a primary factor contributing to dissatisfaction.
Murj seeks to give EPs this control. The Murj platform for CIED management is accessible via an internet browser, allowing providers to approve daily device checks from any location at any time.
Legacy CIED management tools are largely premise-based, meaning EPs and staff must use an in-office computer during business hours to conduct device checks. Murj employs a cloud-based infrastructure to enable providers to access transmission data when convenient, from home or on the go. This flexibility is instrumental in helping EPs and clinic staff achieve a better work-life balance and, in turn, reduce burnout.
Murj provides exceptionally great service and convenience for physicians to take care of their patients effectively.
Maria Viqar-Syed, M.D., Dallas Medical Group
Less paperwork, more time for patient care
Reducing the cognitive load, or the amount of mental resources required of EPs and staff for routine care, can have a positive impact on burnout. Murj approaches this at the micro level, making it easier and less time-consuming for EPs to conduct routine device checks. Murj’s short-form summaries enable batch approval, cutting down manual effort and saving time.
Equally important to reducing time to care is reducing the time required to access critical care data. Murj accomplishes this task effortlessly, instantly displaying past relevant events and impressions—saving potentially hours of record searches in an EHR. When reviewing transmission data, EPs can access all relevant patient historical information to make informed care decisions in context. These efficiencies reduce administrative burdens, allowing providers to focus more on patient care and less on paperwork.
When I go to look at a patient’s device check, depending on findings, I’m immediately asking myself, ‘Tell me more about the patient.’ In Murj, all that information is right there sitting in front of me. I don’t have to go back and forth between charts to find information.
Joseph Manfredi, M.D., Prisma Health Upstate-Carolina Cardiology
Traditionally, clinicians were required to manually input CIED reports into the EHR system, a laborious and time-intensive process that strains clinic efficiency and leads to provider frustration. Murj EHR Integration automates data updating between Murj and electronic patient records, eliminating the need for cumbersome manual entry and presenting a significant opportunity for process enhancement and burnout reduction.
When a case is escalated to my attention, I want instant access to essential patient historical device data and therapies. The last thing the patient wants is a 40-minute delay while I dig through EHR looking for prior events. Using Murj, the key data is right there, dramatically improving my ability to effectively and efficiently deliver care.
Joseph J. Tiano, M.D., Cardiology Physicians of Fairfield
Provider burnout is not a foregone conclusion
A major factor in EP burnout is that clinicians are overwhelmed by the administrative paperwork and data entry caused by the tremendous amount of information transmitted by today’s implantable cardiac devices.
Murj dramatically reduces administrative burden by eliminating the hassle of device data management, including remote transmissions. Murj’s innovative, cloud-based digital workflow software allows clinicians to effortlessly manage data from all implantable cardiac devices. Whether managing CIEDs remotely or through in-office visits, clinicians can reach standard of care compliance and superior patient outcomes with Murj without backlogs or burnout—or early retirement.
Contact us today to learn more.
