Hypatia Research on the benefits of electronic health records systems

Sep 17 2009

Hypatia Research, LLC today released a report entitled "What Healthcare CIOs Need to Know About ARRA & EHR: Healthcare Technology Solutions & Service Providers" outlining current developments, major adoption challenges, business case justification and an assessment of more than 30 EHR vendors that meet government standards for certification and funding programs.

The comprehensive 50+ page report, complete with client case studies, and figures delves into:

Benefits of Electronic Records: Efficiency and Access

Beyond the obvious value of centralized access to patient data, Hypatia Research discerned that electronic records systems provide health providers with multiple benefits:

1. ACCURACY& ERROR-CHECKS: Automated alarm systems notify physicians if drugs prescriptions are contraindicated for patients

2. REPORTING: EHRs Healthcare professionals may compile & analyze data to spot trends

3. MEDICAL KNOWLEDGE-BASE: Advanced EHRs allow physicians and nurses to stay abreast of medical protocols, and in key developments

4. NEAR-TIME ACTIONABLE INSIGHT: Intelligent health records systems (IEHR) that exploit natural language processing [NLP] or semantic analytics to aggregate & analyze unique clinical data

Select Cost Savings & Improvements in Patient Care Efficacy

Hypatia Research interviewed dozens of healthcare providers and found that EHR supported significant improvements in patient care. However, according to senior analyst and co-author Sue Hildreth, "EHR isn't a cure-all for the healthcare industry's ills. While the upfront costs of adoption are significant, EHR does have the potential to significantly reduce paperwork and administrative overhead, as well as improve the speed and accuracy of both medical care and medical claims processing." Hildreth added, "The key to attaining EHR benefits is through successful user adoption--which is heavily dependent on selecting the right EHR solution and training hospital employees adequately."

http://www.hypatiaresearch.com