N.Y. Beacon study ties EHRs to diabetes care improvements
EHR use facilitated measurable improvement in the quality of care and health outcomes for patients with diabetes, according to a federally-funded study by the Western New York Beacon.
The Beacon consisted of a three-year collaboration between health information exchange HEALTHeLINK, Catholic Medical Partners, P2 Collaborative of Western New York and more than 40 other healthcare organizations. The program was funded by a $16.1 million grant from the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology in 2010.
According to the Beacon's report, meaningful use of EHRs served as the foundation of the program. EHRs were used to generate diabetes registries to better track lab values, vitals and necessary tests. This registry also was used to generate personalized reminders and guidance for patient care.
“Quarterly reports drawn from the registry helped physicians identify opportunities to improve care and reduce cost and made the process of meeting federal Meaningful Use guidelines more manageable,” according to the report.
Due to these efforts, early-adopted Beacon practices prevented three hospitalizations for every 100 diabetic patients in 2012. This translated to a savings of an estimated $600 per diabetic patient per year, the Beacon reported. “This savings potential is significant—If only 20 percent of the diabetics in western New York were impacted, the estimated reduction in hospital charges would be $18 million per year.”