Massachusetts e-Health Project increased physicians' ability to use registries, and signals progress toward better...

Area of Science:

• Health Informatics
• Health Services Research
• Medical Quality Improvement

Background:

• Physician engagement with electronic health record (EHR) systems is linked to healthcare quality.
• Patient registries are a key indicator of EHR utilization and quality care.
• The Massachusetts eHealth Collaborative aimed to advance health information technology.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess changes in physician registry capabilities before and after participation in a health information technology program.
• To identify factors associated with the use of patient registries among physicians.

Main Methods:

• A pre-post survey design was employed.
• Physicians participating in the Massachusetts eHealth Collaborative were surveyed.
• Analysis examined the relationship between EHR intensity of use and registry utilization.

Main Results:

• Physicians demonstrated increased ability to generate registries for laboratory results and medication use.
• More intensive EHR users were more likely to utilize registries.
• Registry use was particularly noted in the care of diabetic patients.

Conclusions:

• The statewide health information technology program enhanced physician registry capabilities.
• Intensive EHR use is associated with greater registry adoption, particularly for chronic disease management.
• This project offers a potential model for regional health IT initiatives to improve care quality.