Using electronic health record systems to optimize admission decisions: the Creatinine case study

Area of Science:

• Health Informatics
• Clinical Decision Support
• Hospital Administration

Background:

• Medical organizations increasingly adopt electronic health records (EHR) and health information exchange (HIE) networks to enhance medical decision-making.
• The emergency department (ED) environment presents unique challenges for efficient patient management and admission decisions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the contribution of EHR and HIE networks to physician decision-making in the ED.
• To determine if health information technology can lead to more efficient admission decisions by reducing redundant admissions.

Main Methods:

• Analysis of log-files from an integrated and interoperable EHR system serving seven Israeli hospitals.
• Focus on emergency department patients who underwent a Creatinine test.
• Utilized statistical analyses and track log-file analysis to assess EHR's impact on admission decisions.

Main Results:

• The use of EHR was shown to contribute to more efficient admission decisions in the ED.
• A reduction in the number of avoidable hospital admissions was observed with EHR utilization.
• Viewing patient history within the EHR led to a notable decrease in hospital readmissions.

Conclusions:

• EHR systems demonstrably improve the efficiency of admission decisions in emergency departments.
• Implementing EHR technology can effectively reduce avoidable hospital readmissions, a significant international healthcare concern.