Market evidence — why they'll switch
Doctors don't love their EMR
Physician EMR satisfaction is not catastrophic — it's mediocre, and the documentation burden behind it is severe. About one in four doctors is very satisfied, about one in four is dissatisfied, and the rest are stuck in the middle. The burden the EMR creates — not the brand — is the #1 driver of burnout, and it is exactly what REV removes.
Only ~1 in 4 doctors is very satisfied with the EHR, and a near-equal share is dissatisfied. Alerts/inbox scored worst for usability. For historical baseline, an older AMA/AmericanEHR survey put overall dissatisfaction at 54% in 2014 — the problem is persistent, not new.
The burden, in numbers
The evidence
| Finding | Source | Year |
|---|---|---|
| Only 27.2% of family physicians very satisfied; 26.3% dissatisfied; alerts worst for usability | JAMA Network Open / ABFM | 2024 |
| EHRs score a mean SUS 45.9 ("F"); each 1-pt worse SUS ≈ 3% higher burnout odds | Melnick et al., Mayo Clinic Proceedings | 2019 |
| Physicians spend 49.2% of office time on EHR/desk vs 27.0% with patients | Sinsky et al., Annals of Internal Medicine | 2016 |
| 86 minutes/day of after-hours "pajama time" in the EHR | Arndt/Sinsky et al., Annals of Family Medicine | 2017 |
| Physician Net EHR Experience Score 23.4 vs ≥60 "good" bar; very-satisfied ≈ 5× more likely to stay (n=53,037) | KLAS Arch Collaborative | 2024–25 |
| 17% planning to switch EHR; only ~41% satisfied (n=15,285) | Medscape EHR Report | 2016 |
| ~23% of practices considering an EHR switch | Medical Economics survey | ~2018 |
| 54% dissatisfied/very dissatisfied (historical baseline) | AMA / AmericanEHR | 2014 |
| Excessive documentation is the #1-cited driver of burnout; 1–2 hrs of EHR per hour with patients | AMA (citing NEJM Catalyst / burnout survey) | 2023–24 |
Numbers are reported as published; ranges and survey cohorts shift year to year. Satisfaction varies by specialty (hospital medicine higher; cardiology/orthopedics lower confidence the EHR has needed functionality) and is driven by usability, documentation burden, alerts/inbox load, speed, training, personalization, and specialty fit — not just the vendor.
Why this is REV's opening
- The #1 dissatisfaction driver is documentation burden — REV's ambient, structured note removes it at the source (the doctor's nights come back).
- Satisfaction is mediocre and persistent (~1 in 4 dissatisfied for a decade), so there is a real, standing reason to switch — not a one-time blip.
- Switching intent is concrete: ~17% plan to switch and ~23% of practices are considering it — demand exists before any sales push.
- EHR experience is a measured predictor of burnout and attrition across 120,000+ clinicians (KLAS) — the better-experience product wins retention.
Sources
- Family-physician satisfaction (27.2% very satisfied / 26.3% dissatisfied): JAMA Network Open / American Board of Family Medicine, 2024.
- EHR usability SUS 45.9: Melnick et al., Mayo Clinic Proceedings, 2019.
- Time-and-motion 49.2%/27.0%: Sinsky et al., Annals of Internal Medicine, 2016.
- 86-minute after-hours EHR work: Arndt/Sinsky et al., Annals of Family Medicine, 2017.
- Net EHR Experience Score / burnout & retention: KLAS Arch Collaborative, 2024–2025.
- Switch intent / satisfaction trend: Medscape EHR Report, 2016; Medical Economics, ~2018.
- Documentation as #1 burnout driver: AMA, 2023–2024; AMA/AmericanEHR 2014 (historical baseline).