An analysis posted to the Social Science Research Network investigates how emergency department access to a health information exchange impacts quality of patient care.
The researchers — led by Ramkumar Janakiraman, PhD, a business researcher at the University of South Carolina in Columbia — analyzed data on physicians' HIE access in hospital EDs. The HIE included patient-level data, including provider and patient information.
The researchers determined that HIE access in EDs was correlated with a reduction in length of stay, 30-day readmission rate and likelihood that more than one physician would be consulted. These benefits increased based on the amount of patient information and physician experience with the HIE.