Abstract

Medical organizations are implementing electronic health record (EHR) systems in order to improve medical decision-making. The goal of this study was to characterize the specific data components that improve the process of medical decision-making in an emergency department (ED). The outcome measures were the decision to admit/discharge a patient, and differences in single-day admission rates with/without EHR IS. A database containing 3.2 million ED referrals from seven main Israeli hospitals was subjected to log file analysis. We found that viewing medical history via the EHR IS significantly affects admission decisions. The data show a reduction in the number of avoidable single-day admissions but an increase in the rate of prolonged admissions. Previous admissions, laboratory tests, imaging and previous surgeries were the most influential information components.

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The Influence of EHR Components on Admission Decisions

Medical organizations are implementing electronic health record (EHR) systems in order to improve medical decision-making. The goal of this study was to characterize the specific data components that improve the process of medical decision-making in an emergency department (ED). The outcome measures were the decision to admit/discharge a patient, and differences in single-day admission rates with/without EHR IS. A database containing 3.2 million ED referrals from seven main Israeli hospitals was subjected to log file analysis. We found that viewing medical history via the EHR IS significantly affects admission decisions. The data show a reduction in the number of avoidable single-day admissions but an increase in the rate of prolonged admissions. Previous admissions, laboratory tests, imaging and previous surgeries were the most influential information components.