As healthcare delivery evolves to be more efficient and cost-effective, health technology continues to show the biggest promise.
As healthcare delivery evolves to be more efficient and cost-effective, health technology continues to show the biggest promise. Integration of “big data” in the healthcare industry could relieve the persistent cost and quality deficiencies in the healthcare system. Meaningful use of “big data” and electronic health records (EHRs) could set a foundation for new care delivery models for an entire population. And now, a recent study finds the use of EHRs can reduce diabetes patients’ rates of emergency-room visits and hospitalizations.
Based on research conducted by the Kaiser Permanente Northern California system, EHR implementation and use over a 5-year period reduced emergency room visits by 5.5%, lowered overall hospitalizations by 5.2%, and decreased non-elective hospitalizations by 6.1%.
“EHRs are becoming increasingly common and will soon be the standard of medical care. It makes intuitive sense that better real-time access to information will lead to higher quality of care, especially in a disease such as diabetes that requires a broad-based multifactorial approach,” Gregory A. Nichols, PhD, said in a recent article. “However, acceptance of EHRs by clinicians requires that the systems facilitate practice rather than becoming an expensive and time-consuming barrier to quality care.”
A similar study in The American Journal of Managed Care says that more than 3 in 4 hospitals are participating in the Medicare and Medicaid EHR Incentive Program. More than half of those hospitals have achieved Stage 1 meaningful use.
“Hospitals attesting to meaningful use are not simply doing the minimum necessary to receive the incentives; instead, the vast majority of patients in these hospitals are being cared for using EHRs,” wrote the authors. “For policy makers, this finding should offer reassurance that they selected thresholds that were achievable. It also suggests that an approach of gradually raising the threshold may not be necessary, and future criteria could instead focus on new uses of EHRs that may deliver greater improvements in both the quality and costs of care.”
Around the Web
Healthcare’s “Big Data” Challenge [AJMC]
Farzad Mostashari, MD, ScM, Discusses How Stage 2 Meaningful Use Will Affect Medicare and Medicaid [AJMC]
Outpatient EHRs May Improve Diabetes Management [Medscape]
Two Studies Highlight Benefits of Electronic Health Records [US News & World Report]
Early Results From the Hospital Electronic Health Record Incentive Programs [AJMC]
Beyond Insulin: The Impact of Next-Generation Diabetes Technology
April 17th 2024Experts explain how new diabetes technologies like continuous glucose monitors are transforming care beyond intensive insulin therapy, offering personalized insights and improving outcomes for patients of all treatment levels.
Read More
Examining Low-Value Cancer Care Trends Amidst the COVID-19 Pandemic
April 25th 2024On this episode of Managed Care Cast, we're talking with the authors of a study published in the April 2024 issue of The American Journal of Managed Care® about their findings on the rates of low-value cancer care services throughout the COVID-19 pandemic.
Listen
Oncology Onward: A Conversation With Penn Medicine's Dr Justin Bekelman
December 19th 2023Justin Bekelman, MD, director of the Penn Center for Cancer Care Innovation, sat with our hosts Emeline Aviki, MD, MBA, and Stephen Schleicher, MD, MBA, for our final episode of 2023 to discuss the importance of collaboration between academic medicine and community oncology and testing innovative cancer care delivery in these settings.
Listen
Accountable Care Organization Initiatives to Improve the Cost and Outcomes of Specialty Care
April 2nd 2024Engaging specialty physicians is an emerging area of focus for Medicare accountable care organizations. Enhanced data on specialist costs and outcomes are essential to addressing alignment challenges.
Read More