A STUDY ON ELECTRONIC HEALTH RECORDS

Abstract

Electronic health records (EHRs) were introduced to enhance patient outcomes and care quality. The adoption of EHRs and patient outcomes were compared in this study. Using State Inpatient Databases connected to the 2011 American Hospital Association survey, we conducted an observational study. Six sizable, diversified states' worth of surgical and medical patients were included. We conducted univariate analyses and created hierarchical regression models that examined the relationships between mortality, readmission rates, and complications with the extent of EHR utilisation. Using a difference-in-differences methodology, we assessed the impact of EHR adoption on outcomes from 2008 to 2011. Patients seeking medical and surgical care went to hospitals with no EHR (3.5%), partial EHR (55.2%), and full EHR (41.3%) systems. Patients at hospitals with full EHR had the lowest rates of inpatient mortality, readmissions, and hospitalizations in univariate studies. Keywords: Electronic Health Records, Bar Coding, Speech Recognition, Patient Confidentiality.