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Study finds EMRs led to better outcomes for diabetic patients

NEWS IN BRIEF — Posted Sept. 12, 2011

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A study published online Aug. 31 in The New England Journal of Medicine shows that diabetic patients treated in a practice with an electronic medical record system were significantly more likely to have better health outcomes, in a shorter period of time compared with those being treated in paper-based practices. The benefits were common across all insurance statuses, including uninsured.

The study involved 27,000 adults with diabetes living in the Cleveland area whose improvements were tracked over three years. The patients were being treated by 50 primary care physicians in 46 practices that were partners in a regional collaborative aimed at improving the value of care for patients with chronic disease (link).

While non-EMR patients also showed improvements, nearly 51% of EMR patients met all endorsed standards of care compared to only 7% of those in paper-based practices. EMR practices also had annual improvements in care that were 10% greater than paper-based practices and 4% greater annual improvements in outcomes.

Randall D. Cebul, MD, professor of medicine at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland and lead author of the study, said the findings were significant because previous studies looking at EMRs have been conflicted with regard to how they impact quality of care and cost.

Note: This item originally appeared at http://www.ama-assn.org/amednews/2011/09/12/bibf0912.htm.

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