Usage of electronic health records (EHRs) does not lead to better quality of care or clinical outcomes for stroke patients, according to findings of a recent research effort.
The researchers, led by Karen E. Joynt, M.D., a cardiologist at Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School in Boston, looked at at 1,236 hospitals which adhered to national stroke care guidelines between 2007 and 2010 and compared the 511 that had electronic health records to those that did not. They determined that having an EHR did not lead to higher quality of care or lower mortality records. It did lead to a slightly lower length of stay.
"EHRs do not appear to be sufficient, at least as currently implemented, to improve overall quality of care or outcomes for this important disease state," Dr. Joynt said in a statement.
The study was published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.
