Study finds EHRs made no difference in stroke outcomes

Ischemic stroke patients at hospitals with EHR systems did not have better illness progression or care quality than similar patients at hospitals without EHRs, according to a study published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.

Researchers analyzed data on more than 625,000 patients who received care between 2007 and 2010 at 1,236 U.S. hospitals. More than 500 of the hospitals had EHRs by the end of the study period, and all the hospitals were participating in the "Get With the Guidelines-Stroke" care quality initiative

The study found no difference in patients' quality of care and illness progression between hospitals with EHRs and those without EHRs, including after adjusting the data for certain patient characteristics. However, patients who received care at hospitals with EHRs were slightly less likely to have prolonged hospital stays of more than four days. 

In an accompanying editorial, John Windle, chief of cardiology at the University of Nebraska Medical Center, wrote that the study results provide good reason that providers should not face penalties for failing to meet Meaningful Use requirements. EHRs so far have not been shown to improve care efficiency, care quality or outcomes for large groups of individuals, he wrote, adding that the study "is a wake-up call that we should heed." EHR systems' top priority "must be support of clinical care, not documentation for billing and reimbursement."