Download This PaperInformation Technology and Patient Health: Analyzing Outcomes, Populations, and Mechanisms
50 Pages Posted: 4 Jun 2014 Last revised: 17 Jun 2015
Date Written: June 2015
Abstract
We study the effect of hospital adoption of electronic medical records (EMRs) on health outcomes, particularly patient safety indicators (PSIs). We find evidence of a positive impact of EMRs on PSIs via decision support rather than care coordination. Consistent with this mechanism, we find an EMR with decision support is more effective at reducing PSIs for less complicated cases, using several different metrics for complication. These findings indicate the negligible impacts for EMRs found by previous studies focusing on the Medicare population and/or mortality do not apply in all settings.
Keywords: Information Technology, Electronic medical records, Decision support, Patient safety indicators, Health
JEL Classification: H51, I11, I18, O33
Suggested Citation: Suggested Citation
Seth Freedman
Indiana University Bloomington - School of Public & Environmental Affairs (SPEA) ( email )
1315 East Tenth Street
Bloomington, IN 47405
United States
Haizhen Lin
Indiana University - Kelley School of Business - Department of Business Economics & Public Policy ( email )
Bloomington, IN 47405
United States
Jeffrey Prince (Contact Author)
Kelley School of Business, Indiana University ( email )
1309 E. Tenth Street
Kelley School of Business
Bloomington, IN 47405
United States
8128562692 (Phone)
47405 (Fax)
HOME PAGE: http://https://kelley.iu.edu/jeffprin/