Study: Value-based EHR alerts can lower costs, complications

Embedding certain decision support alerts into hospital electronic health records can lower costs, readmissions and complications for patients, according to a study published today in the American Journal of Managed Care. Researchers examined physician adherence to 18 real-time alerts embedded in a clinical decision support system at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center based on the American Board of Internal Medicine Foundation’s Choosing Wisely recommendations, which identify common tests and procedures that may not have clear benefit for patients. “Encounters in which providers adhered to all alerts had significantly lower total costs, shorter lengths of stay, a lower probability of 30-day readmissions, and a lower probability of complications compared with non-adherent encounters,” the authors said. The AHA, in partnership with the ABIM Foundation's Choosing Wisely campaign and the Costs of Care organization, recently launched a 12-month virtual High-Value Care Collaborative. For more information, visit https://www.aha.org/physicians/high-value-care.