Physicians' use of electronic health record systems did not improve care quality for patients with diabetes, according to a study published in the Annals of Family Medicine, Modern Healthcare reports.
For the study, researchers from Robert Wood Johnson Medical School at the University of Medicine & Dentistry of New Jersey analyzed 800 patients treated at 42 physician practices over three years.
Study Findings
The study found that at physician practices without EHR systems, patients had a higher probability of meeting certain targets for blood pressure and A1c levels after two years.
The study did not find any correlation between the use of EHR systems and increased adherence to clinical guidelines for care processes and treatments.
Recommendations
To help physician practices use EHR systems more effectively, researchers recommended that:
- Regional extension centers make adjustments to meet the needs of smaller physician practices; and
- IT vendors improve the population management functionality of their EHR systems (McKinney, Modern Healthcare, 5/14).