Study Finds Largely Positive Response To EHRs.

Study Finds Largely Positive Response To EHRs.

According to the National Journal (3/9, Smith), in a review of 154 studies about health information technology, researchers with the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology found that a majority were positive. Dr. Donald Berwick, administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, said "these new findings are very significant in helping to confirm that our nation has made the right choice in moving aggressively toward adoption of health information technology." The study concludes that this review is "reassuring," because "it indicates that the expansion of health IT in the health care system is worthwhile."

Government Health IT (3/8, Mosquera) reported that the survey of studies refutes "other recent findings that suggest electronic health records and other health IT do not produce positive effects for patient care." According to one of the authors of the survey article, Dr. David Blumenthal, the national coordinator for health IT, "previous studies focused on the early years of electronic health records (EHR) when functions were not as mature."