IT Practice Consulting – Health IT Report – March 2016

 

Studies Show that EHR Technology Leads to Improvements in Patient Care

Medical provider and physician participation in Electronic Health Records (EHRs), along with their Meaningful Use implementation programs, has risen steadily in recent years. One government report, titled “Adoption of Electronic Health Record Systems among U.S. Non-Federal Acute Care Hospitals: 2008-2014,” found that EHR usage grew from 9% in 2008 to 76% in 2014. Furthermore, while physician employment and acceptance of health information technology improved by nearly 50% since 2004 (“Office-based Physician Electronic Health Record Adoption: 2004-2014”), a focus on patients’ benefits has become integral to meaningful users’ agendas.

 

Main concerns for EHRs emphasize the security of patient information, as well as accessibility. Fortunately, recent movements in the Health IT community highlight the benefits, present and upcoming, of electronic data collection and analysis by medical organizations. Here are a few reasons why effective implementation of Electronic Health Records is a valuable asset to your organization’s patient care:

 

Patients are Becoming Increasingly Comfortable with EHR Technology

A nationwide survey from the Office of the National Coordinator for Health IT evidences that patients showed increasing positivity toward EHRs and data-sharing in recent years. Between 2012 and 2013, a little under half of patients surveyed stated they were “very concerned” about the privacy of their medical information; by 2014, this statistic dropped to less than a third of participants. Moreover, approximately 75% of patients surveyed from 2012 to 2014 supported the significance and application of EHRs, “despite any potential privacy or security concerns.”

 

Read more about ONC’s study here:

ONC: Patient comfort levels with EHRs, data-sharing on the rise

 

EHR Analysis Prevents Medication Abuse

The implications of EHR innovation expand beyond patient security into diagnostic benefits. The Marshfield Clinic, located in Marshfield, Wisconsin, included opiate prescription histories that were incorporated directly into a patient’s EHRs and monitored closely by medical practitioners. Dr. Eric Penniman, the Medical Director for Primary Care, asserts that this technology highlights trends in medication abuse: “It’s very easy to see who is getting what prescriptions before making treatment decisions and giving out new prescriptions.” This health initiative has drastically improved patient treatment in Wisconsin, where opiate overdose killed more residents than motor vehicle accidents in 2013 (Wisconsin Department of Health Services).

 

Read more about the Marshfield Clinic’s study here:

New technology in electronic medical records helps spot opioid misuse

 

EHR Analysis Detects Undiagnosed Conditions

Another notable study, published by Ariana E. Anderson, PhD in the Journal of Biomedical Informatics, claims EHR analysis is more comprehensive in diagnosing Type II diabetes than conventional methodologies. The retrospective study used both full and partial EHR data from 9,948 patients in order to determine the likelihood of detecting Type II diabetes; accuracy levels concluded at 81.3% for full EHRs, 79.6% for restricted EHRs, and 74.8% for conventional diagnostic techniques. “Implementing EHR screenings would aggregate information that is already available,” Anderson concluded, “Moreover, we anticipate that future models will use EHRs to screen not just for common diseases, but also less common diseases.”

 

Read more about Anderson’s study here:

EHRs could help identify undiagnosed Type 2 diabetes

 

Final Thoughts

In New York State, improvements to patient care using the extensive capabilities of EHRs has become a medical community priority. With the demand for accessibility and security of health information technology on the rise, organizations depend on correct and effective implementation of EHRs to compete on local and statewide levels. The New York eHealth Collaborative (NYeC), a program through the New York State Department of Health, collaborates with medical practices to achieve the essential tools needed to become meaningful users of EHRs. Understanding the significance of patient health and treatment, NYeC advances state and federal grants as means to optimize health information technologies among providers. IT Practice Consulting, Corp assists in these successful implementations of new Health IT workflows, as well as advising ongoing meaningful users in New York State.

Is your practice looking to enhance its application of EHRs? Contact IT Practice Consulting today.

 

IT Practice Consulting – Health IT Report – February 2016

Electronic Health Records (EHRs) – New Research on the Benefits for Providers and Patients

 

Electronic Health Records (EHRs) are revolutionizing the delivery of healthcare services nationwide. Recent findings of the HIMSS 2016 Health Information Technology Value survey reveal that nearly 90% of advanced EHR users have witnessed at least one positive change in quality of care and operations. Data was collected exclusively from hospitals that have achieved Stage 6 or 7 on the HIMSS Analytics EMRAMSM model, as well as HIMSS Davies Award winners. The survey’s Health IT Value was contingent on a variety of quality measurements – satisfaction, treatment results, patient engagement – with the vast majority of recipients reporting the greatest improvements fell under Clinical Quality Performance.

 

Read more on the 2016 HIMSS Health Technology Value Study here:

http://www.ihealthbeat.org/articles/2016/1/12/himss-ehr-use-associated-with-quality-performance-benefits

 

iHealthbeat Articles – HIMSS EHR Use Associated with Quality Performance Benefits

 

          So, what does EHR implementation really mean for you and your organization?

 

Clinical Quality and Efficiency

Over 83% of the 2016 HIMSS study recipients claimed that EHR programs substantially improved Clinical Quality Performance. Nearly unanimous reports evidence two main ways EHR implementation made all the difference:

1) Increase in clinician communications and,

2)  Reduction of duplicative testing

The HIMSS survey also found that 60% of organizations with advanced EHR practices showed consistent growth in patient portal usage. Moreover, half of the recipients expressed that their organizations have had overwhelming positive experiences with interoperability, or health IT system integrations.

 

Patient Safety and Satisfaction

The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) recently analyzed data from Medicare Patient Safety Monitoring Systems to investigate adverse patient events in hospitals with successful EHR implementation. Adverse events were categorized into four key experiences: drug reactions, hospital-acquired infections, general events, and post-procedural complications. AHRQ compiled information from approximately 45,000 patients at 1,351 locations nation-wide; adverse events were up to 30% less likely to occur in hospitals with high-functioning health IT programs. Results confirmed a significant relationship between EHRs and adverse drug event rates for patients hospitalized with pneumonia. A slightly weaker relationship was also observed with patients hospitalized for cardiovascular or general surgery.

 

          Read more about AHRQ’s study here: http://www.healthcareitnews.com/news/electronic-health-records-trim-odds-hospital-acquired-infections-other-adverse-events-ahrq-says

 

Heatlhcare IT News:  Electronic Health Records Trim Odds Hospital Acquired Infections and Other Adverse Events – AHRQ Says

 

Financial Savings

          CRICO’s (Harvard’s Medical Malpractice Provider) 2015 Annual Comparative Benchmarking Report confirms that one-third of medical malpractice lawsuits can be directly traced back to faulty or incomplete communication. The report examined roughly 24,000 malpractice cases from 2009 to 2013 and calculated a $1.7 billion net realizable loss in settlements and legal fees. Furthermore, CRICO’s analysis determined that miscommunication regarding the patient’s condition, poor documentation, and forgetting to read medical records were the top three failures leading up to these malpractice litigations.

 

          Read more about CRICO’s Annual Report here: http://healthitinteroperability.com/news/when-health-information-exchange-fails-providers-often-pay

 

Health Interoperability News:  When Health Information Exchange Fails Providers Often Pay

 

Final Thoughts

          Interoperability is on the rise in the medical community, and applying successful EHR implementation has become a top priority for organizations state-wide. With provider and patient benefits on one side, and avoidable consequences on the other, implementing EHRs has become a medical no-brainer.

If you’re wondering how to approach the daunting task of selecting, organizing, and implementing EHR systems into your practice or healthcare organization, don’t worry. Assistance is readily available for those practices, hospitals and organizations moving forward to become meaningful users of EHRs. IT Practice Consulting, Corp has assisted practices of all sizes to successfully implement new Health IT workflows and achieve Meaningful Use nation-wide.

Here in New York, the New York eHealth Collaborative (NYeC), in collaboration with the New York State Department of Health, assists thousands of practices in maximizing their health information technologies through a variety of state and federal grants. Their services can often be offered free or at low cost to eligible providers. 

Need help determining whether your practice is eligible for state or federal grants? Contact IT Practice Consulting today.