Home health agencies that do not have electronic health record systems in place are at a disadvantage, but many still lack this technology, according to a recent study published in the journal Home Health Care Management and Practice.
Among a sample of more than 1,500 Medicare home health providers, approximately 10% did not use EHRs. Some instead used paper and pencil for clinical documentation, whereas others explored other means of transmitting patients’ health information, such as by using telephone calls. EHR tools, however, were found to be the most effective, whereas the alternatives led to challenges for the providers and the patients they served.
Those challenges included operational and administrative slowdowns. Paper charting was found to be less efficient and more time-consuming than electronic means, and as a result, providers using those outdated means experienced more challenges coordinating care with patients’ other providers.
Those providers without EHR systems in place tended to be smaller, and were more often for-profit rather than nonprofit entities. Those without EHRs also had lower Star Ratings and weaker Home Health Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems scores, on average.
EHR advantages
Meanwhile, providers that use EHR systems were reportedly better able to monitor their patient population, more effectively coordinate care and collect data for quality improvement. They generally produced better health outcomes at lower costs, the study found.
But those agencies still noted challenges that came with using EHR tools. For example, electronic health information platforms can be difficult for staff members to learn and use, the researchers noted. Some providers reported “ongoing difficulties and barriers” preventing effective use of EHR technology.
“These challenges may inadvertently lead to higher workloads due to the need to transcribe paper notes into the EHR and resolve HIT issues, which may decrease user satisfaction with the system,” the researchers wrote. “The switch to a new EHR system increased the time clinicians spent on charting, suggesting that there may be an initial learning curve associated with instituting new technology resulting in an initial increase in workload.”
Big investment
The process of adopting an EHR can be a challenge in and of itself, as selecting the appropriate electronic tool requires a large investment of time and money, according to the study. A highly fragmented market of EHR tools impedes healthcare interoperability, reducing efficiency and making care coordination harder, the researchers noted.
In related news, five EHR vendors entered the Trusted Exchange Framework and Common Agreement in a move that could advance efforts of creating interoperable patient data tools. Epic Nexus, Health Gorilla, KONZA and MedAllies and eHealth Exchange make up the first five qualified health information networks under TEFCA. They will be able to share patient data with providers using any other TEFCA-aligned EHR software.
