An electronic health record system can improve care for patients with multiple chronic diseases by enabling better coordination among health care providers, insurers and patients, according to a study by the eHealth Initiative, InformationWeek reports.
The study was conducted in partnership with pharmaceutical company Sanofi-Aventis and the Health & Technology Vector, a health IT company in Connecticut (Versel, InformationWeek, 6/23).
Study Methods
The study was based on a 12-month project at Community Health Center in Connecticut and a primary care practice associated with the Taconic Independent Practice Association in New York. The study tracked 119 patients with Type 2 diabetes and heart disease.
Researchers tried to identify existing gaps in care coordination, as well as how EHR systems are used for care coordination in medical homes (Manos, Healthcare IT News, 6/23).
Study Results
The study found that EHR deployment in patient-centered medical homes contributed to several process improvements, including:
In addition, some of the specific changes at the community health center included:
EHR Limitations
The study also noted areas where EHR systems were unable to support care coordination tasks considered to be essential, including the ability to facilitate electronic communication between primary care providers and cardiologists.
According to the report, the gaps in EHR system functionalities resulted in a “wish list” for future improvements (Simmons, FierceEMR, 6/23).
Source: iHealthBeat
