The adoption of commercially-available electronic health records do not consistently impact ambulatory Medicaid costs in the short term, according to a study in Medicare & Medicaid Research Review.
Researchers examined the change in ambulatory Medicaid costs at three Massachusetts hospitals that had implemented EHR systems and at six matched control hospitals.
Results showed that having an EHR system raised costs slightly at one hospital, lowered them at another and had no effect at the third study hospital.
The disparity in cost outcomes "may be explained by differences in financial incentives and the use of decision support and health information exchange, which available evidence suggests deliver most of the financial benefit from EHRs," wrote study author Julia Adler-Milstein, PhD, of the University of Michigan.
More Articles on EHRs:
Report: EHR Use Can Make Clinical Trials More Efficient
Affinity Medical Center Nurses Seek to Delay EHR Implementation
EHR Reminders Help Increase Number of Pediatric Flu Vaccinations