Richmond, Indiana-based Reid Health is redesigning its electronic health record workflow by bringing clinicians and IT into closer alignment, a shift aimed at easing burnout, improving patient access and strengthening care across its rural service area, according to CIO Muhammad Siddiqui. The approach centers on listening to frontline staff first, rather than treating technology upgrades as an IT-only project.
Why the health system changed its approach
Reid Health’s effort reflects a broader challenge in healthcare: EHR systems can streamline documentation, but they can also add friction when they do not match the realities of clinical work. Siddiqui said burnout is not just a morale issue; it affects turnover, productivity, access, quality and financial performance.
His framing echoes a long-running view in health policy that burnout is a systems problem, not an individual one. The National Academy of Medicine has repeatedly described clinician burnout as driven by workflow design, administrative burden and inefficient processes.
How collaboration is changing the workflow
Instead of asking clinicians to adapt to rigid tools, Reid Health is using their feedback to guide changes in the EHR environment. That includes understanding how physicians, nurses and support teams actually move through patient encounters, where delays appear and which steps create unnecessary clicks or duplication.
Siddiqui said IT should act as a partner that brings structure, safety and execution, rather than as an order-taker or a department of
Frequently Asked Questions
What does it mean in practice to rebuild EHR workflows around clinician input instead of IT priorities?
It means the health system starts by observing how physicians, nurses and support staff actually work, then adjusts the EHR to fit those real-world steps. Rather than forcing clinicians to adapt to a standardized system, Reid Health uses feedback to remove duplicate tasks, reduce unnecessary clicks and make documentation flow better during patient care.
Why is Reid Health treating burnout as a technology and workflow issue rather than just a staffing problem?
Because burnout affects more than morale. According to the article, it can drive turnover, lower productivity, reduce patient access and harm quality and finances. By redesigning EHR workflows, Reid Health is trying to address one root cause of frustration: inefficient processes that add burden to already demanding clinical work.
How can changes to an EHR workflow improve patient access in a rural health system?
In a rural system, even small delays in documentation, scheduling or handoffs can affect how quickly patients are seen and followed up. If the EHR reduces friction for clinicians, they can spend less time on administrative steps and more time on care delivery, which can help the system handle demand more efficiently.
What is the role of IT in Reid Health’s new approach, and how is it different from a traditional EHR rollout?
IT is being positioned as a partner that brings structure, safety and execution, not as a team that simply installs tools and expects clinicians to adjust. The difference is that technology decisions are being shaped by frontline feedback first, so the workflow redesign reflects clinical realities instead of only technical or administrative goals.
Why is it important to study how clinicians move through an encounter before changing the EHR?
Because many EHR problems come from mismatches between software design and actual patient care. By mapping how encounters unfold, Reid Health can identify where delays, duplicate entry or extra steps occur. That makes it easier to target the parts of the workflow that create the most friction and burnout.