HIE use reduces duplicative diagnostic testing

Use of a health information exchange (HIE) tool in emergency departments (EDs) helped physicians avoid duplicative diagnostic testing and identify drug-seeking behavior in patients, according to a study published in Applied Clinical Informatics.

The mixed methods study was conducted at four large hospital EDs in Minnesota between January and November 2012. Retrospective data were extracted from the EHR to evaluate utilization of an HIE tool, called Care Everywhere (CE), since implementation. During this timeframe, CE was utilized approximately 1.46 percent of all ED encounters.

Physicians reported that the greatest impact of CE use was the avoidance of duplicative testing, according to the study. Specifically, a review of provider notes determined that CE use resulted in 560 fewer diagnostic procedures. Also, the notes found that HIE access helped providers pinpoint 28 cases of drug-seeking behavior.

CE utilization “has the potential to generate greater efficiencies within the ED and impact to patient care through elimination of duplicative diagnostic imaging or testing and resource utilization associated with those procedures,” according to the study.

Access the abstract here.