Assessing the contribution of EHR systems to medical decision-making

This paper evaluates the contribution of an electronic health records (EHR) systems to decisionmakers (physicians) by investigating whether these systems contribute to improved medical outcomes in emergency departments (ED). Log-files were retrieved from an integrative EHR system that serves seven main hospitals owned by a big health maintenance organization (HMO). We found that using an EHR system in the EDs correlates with a decreased number of readmissions within seven days as well as with a reduced number of single-day admissions. Our results provide evidence that viewing medical history via EHR system can assist ED physicians in better decision-making. Likewise, the lack of use of EHR system in EDs might lead physicians to make medical decisions that are less effective, and hence lead to unnecessary expenses for the HMO. The study focused on single-day admissions and readmissions within seven days, problems that concern hospitals around the world.