Use of the health information exchange (HIE) has had a significant effect on the duplication of tests, according to researchers at the Brookings Institution in cooperation with HEALTHeLINK.
The researchers conducted a pilot study to examine the impact of the use of HIE technology on reducing laboratory tests and radiology examinations in emergency departments (EDs) at three area hospitals. The results of the pilot were published in the Journal of the American Medical Informatics Association and the Center for Technology Innovation at Brookings.
HEALTHeLINK’s clinical liaisons shadowed physicians within the EDs at Kenmore Mercy Hospital, Erie County Medical Center and Buffalo General Medical Center. A total of 1,450 patients were seen in these three EDs during the pilot which found a reduction in ordering of laboratory tests and radiology exams.
In one ED, access to patients’ information within HEALTHeLINK, led to a 52 percent reduction in the estimated number of laboratory tests and a 36 percent reduction in the estimated number of radiology exams. The other two EDs experienced similar reductions.
Editor
Editor Beth earned a bachelor’s degree in journalism and master’s in health communication. She has worked in hospital, academic and publishing settings over the past 20 years. Beth joined TriMed in 2005, as editor of CMIO and Clinical Innovation + Technology. When not covering all things related to health IT, she spends time with her husband and three children.