EHR Use Results in Higher Quality Care, AHRQ-Funded Study Finds

Patients who are treated by physicians using electronic health records (EHRs) were significantly more likely to receive care that corresponds to accepted treatment standards and get better care than patients treated by physicians who rely on paper records, a new AHRQ-funded study concludes. The study, published in the September 1 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine, examined physician practices in the Cleveland, OH, area that treated more than 27,000 adults with diabetes. Regardless of insurance mix, practices using EHRs showed higher achievement of care and outcome standards and greater improvement in diabetes care. Nearly half (43.7 percent) of the patients at EHR practice sites had diabetes outcomes that met at least four of the five standards, compared to 15.7 percent of patients at paper-based practice sites. Annual improvements in meeting care standards and quality outcomes were faster in practices with EHRs than paper-based practices. Select to access the article.

Source: AHRQ News Release