EMRs Provide a Wealth of Information

Electronic Medical Records paint a pretty picture for health researchers and scientists looking to mend the damages done to public care. In the past we relied on Medicaid and other federal health programs to provide us with data but with the influx of web-based EHRs, we can extract important information within minutes rather than relying on Medicaid claims which have recently been proven to be less effective for health research.

According to the latest study by Annals of Family Medicine, EMR databases in community health centers present new opportunities for health policy research, quality of care improvement and comparative effectiveness. The Oregon based study looked at 2,100 diabetic patients in 50 state community health centers who had been enrolled in Medicaid. They found a drastic difference between the data they were able to collect from Medicaid claims versus from EHRs.

In 2007, 11.6 percent of total cholesterol screenings were documented from Medicaid claims, 7 percent influenza vaccination and 10.5 percent of nephropathy screenings. In comparison, the following procedures were documented in the EHRs tested 49.3 percent of cholesterol screens, 50 percent of influenza vaccinations and 50 percent of nephropathy screenings were documented.

“Networked EHRs provide new opportunities for obtaining more comprehensive data regarding health services received, especially among populations who are discontinuously insured. Relying solely on Medicaid claims data is likely to substantially underestimate the quality of care,” Annals of Family Medicine stated in their recent study.

EHRs are gold mines of powerful information which we can be used to study and potentially fix common illnesses and health issues. In the past, Practice Fusion provided critical de-identified information needed to power drug interaction research, disease outbreak and monitoring and reporting to top universities across the country. During the Swine Flu epidemic and the Darvocet drug recall, we were able to provide doctors with real-time data to forewarn their patients of any adverse or deadly reactions. For more information about research initiatives, click HERE.