The electronic health record (EHR) was supposed to mark a new era of efficiency. Instead, for many private practices, it’s a source of daily frustration that steals time from patient care and fuels provider burnout.

A recent Tebra survey of 105 US private practice providers confirms the scale of the problem. Exactly 50% of the providers surveyed spend 10–25% of their workday on documentation, while 34% devote a significant 26–50% of their day to these tasks. Clinicians aren’t looking for new tabs and templates; they’re looking for a smarter way to work. 

But a new era of EHR optimization is here, powered by artificial intelligence. The question is no longer if AI can help, but how it can finally make EHRs work for you, not against you.

The endless grind of manual data entry, coding, and system navigation in inefficient EHRs drains clinical energy and has a measurable impact on care quality and provider well-being. The consequences of this administrative repetition are significant. According to Tebra’s survey, 88% of providers cite repetitive documentation as their top time-waster.

This directly impacts the patient experience, as 70% of providers say it reduces time with patients and 67% note it makes them feel rushed during appointments. The burden extends beyond the exam room, as 60% spend at least 30 minutes on documentation after-hours and 62% say it disrupts their personal time. Unsurprisingly, 64% say it directly contributes to burnout.

The survey responses reveal the heavy emotional toll. In their words, providers feel “exhausted... mentally drained ... ready to stop working.” This burden follows them long after the last patient goes home.

What do clinicians want from AI? The answer is simple: less time documenting, fewer after-hours charting sessions, and confidence that technology supports — not disrupts — their established processes.

This is exactly where AI can shift the equation. When asked what tasks they’d feel comfortable using AI to handle, providers pointed at time-consuming tasks: 

The power of AI in practice operations depends heavily on how well it’s integrated. Tools that sit outside the EHR and require separate logins or data transfers often create more friction than they solve. 

In Tebra’s survey, 71% of providers said that built-in EHR integration would make them more confident in adopting AI. For 66%, seamless EHR integration is a non-negotiable requirement. 

Centralized platforms that embed AI capabilities within core EHR functions are the answer. They help eliminate duplication and context-switching, making it easy for your team to benefit from AI without disrupting their processes.

For practices already using AI-enhanced workflows, the return on investment is clear. When AI is integrated correctly into the EHR, it frees up provider capacity while improving documentation accuracy.

Among providers using AI, Tebra’s survey reveals:

Learn about Tebra's AI Smart Staff — which can help you get your time back by automating the admin that slows you down.

Despite high interest, providers are cautious about adopting AI. Just 37% of those surveyed have tried it in their workflow, with the majority held back by concerns like cost, regulatory uncertainty, potential liability, and a lack of trust in vendors.

Adding to this is the fast-evolving regulatory landscape. The recently updated Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC) Health IT Certification Program now requires AI tools embedded in EHRs to be transparent and for their presence to be formally declared.

In addition, the federal government’s Assistant Secretary for Technology Policy and Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ASTP/ONC) has laid out a 2024–2030 health IT strategy that emphasizes transparency into performance, quality, and privacy practices of AI in healthcare technology. 

To go from hesitation to confidence, providers want assurances on several fronts:

In fact, 82% of respondents named editing control as non-negotiable and 80% require HIPAA-compliant data security.

Education also matters. Half of non-users say they just don’t know enough about AI yet, haven’t had time to learn, or aren’t sure what’s available. This puts the onus on vendors to provide education, not just a feature list.

In Tebra’s survey, 65% of providers said an AI tool needs to save them at least 30 minutes a day to be worthwhile, while 63% said it must help prevent burnout. Moreover, 58% said it should “pay for itself in time saved” and 54% want improvements in care quality. 

These expectations create a clear bar for vendors: AI must offer tangible benefits that translate into better outcomes for both providers and patients.

AI in EHR optimization is not about automating for automation’s sake — it’s about creating more space for care. Tebra’s survey reveals a clear mandate from private practices: reduce documentation burden, integrate seamlessly, keep them in control, and safeguard patient data.

When AI tools are thoughtfully designed and deeply integrated, they can finally transform the EHR from an administrative burden into a clinical asset. The right AI-EHR partnership doesn’t just promise efficiency, but delivers a more sustainable practice, with notably shorter workdays, lowered stress, and more time with patients. 

Ready to learn more? Book a Tebra demo today and experience firsthand how AI tools can support your processes.