Dive Brief:
- Roughly 75% of doctors who use EMRs in 2011 reported seeing clinical benefits from EMR adoption, according to a new study published in the journal Health Services Research.
- The study, which analyzed responses about EMR experiences for about 3000 doctors, found that the majority of respondents had been alerted to a potential medication error or critical lab value while using EMRs.
- Also, 33% of physicians said EMRs help them identify lab tests and communicate directly with patients.
Dive Insight:
Throughout the history of EMR adoption, there's been a question as to whether the clinical benefits of using them outweighs the trouble involved in getting an EMR installed and working. This study suggests that we're actually beginning to see concrete clinical benefits across a broad range of physician practices. While we hope to see broader and more systemic changes that improve quality courtesy of EMRs, the improvements seen here are good start.