Getting Value From Electronic Health Records: Research Needed to Improve Practice

Area of Science:

• Health Informatics
• Clinical Research
• Health Services Research

Background:

• Electronic health records (EHRs) are widely adopted but underutilized for high-value care delivery.
• Significant research is needed to realize the full potential of EHRs beyond data storage.

Purpose of the Study:

• To outline the benefits of EHR-based research for improving healthcare.
• To provide recommendations for conducting and reporting research to maximize EHR value.

Main Methods:

• The article reviews potential benefits of EHR-based research.
• It proposes six recommendations for systematic intervention development, value assessment, and implementation.

Main Results:

• Potential benefits include improved clinical and triage decisions, enhanced care team collaboration (including patients), and increased productivity through automation.
• Recommendations focus on user-centered design, comprehensive value assessment (cost, quality, outcomes, provider/patient work), time horizon consideration, real-world implementation testing, behavior change tool analysis, and detailed reporting for replication.

Conclusions:

• Continued research is essential to expand EHR-based interventions and maximize their role in creating value in healthcare.
• Rigorous, directed research will drive the next phase of EHR utilization for high-value care.