Certain EHR features associated with fewer adverse events in some hospital patients

Adults hospitalized for acute cardiovascular disease, surgery or pneumonia are less likely to experience some adverse events in hospitals with certain electronic health record functions, according to a study published this week in The Journal of Patient Safety. Funded by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, the study compared rates for certain hospital-acquired infections and other adverse events in hospitals with “fully electronic” health records to those in hospitals with some or none of the same electronic features. Fully electronic health records were associated with 17% to 30% lower odds of an adverse event, depending on the medical condition and event. The fully electronic health records were defined as having electronically generated physician notes, nursing assessments, problem lists, medication lists, discharge summaries and provider orders. The results are based on 2012 and 2013 data from the Medicare Patient Safety Monitoring System.