Digging for EHR treasure

A pair of studies came out this week that hinted at the untapped value of EHR data.

In one study, published in Health Technology Assessment, EHR analysis was shown to be a more efficient and less costly way to identify the best treatment options for patients than the current clinical trial process.

U.K. researchers used a new computer program with general practitioners across England and Scotland. To monitor the effects of their prescribed treatments, they used 300 patients' EHRs, which are stored in the Clinical Practice Research Datalink, and updated during routine medical visits.

The researchers determined that they were able to understand health patterns related to specific prescribed medications and determine which treatments were more effective by analyzing EHRs. The EHR analysis offers a larger and more diverse overview of the general population than current clinical trial methods, the authors concluded.

The second study, conducted by Duke University, pointed to the value of patient-generated data in EHRs— concluding that it holds the key to greatly improving both individual and population health. But for patient-generated data to be immediate and actionable, patients must experience the importance of the data for their own care as well as for research purposes, according to the Health Affairs study.

What’s next in the world of EHRs? It’s hard to say. But this uncertainty is compounded by the fact that federal health agencies have yet to publish the Meaningful Use final rule that would offer more flexibility with certification requirements. In fact, this week HIMSS EHR Association urged for the rule’s finalization while asking for a delay on Stage 3 until at least 2018.

Stay tuned as all this plays out.

Laura Pedulli

Clinical Innovation + Technology