When hospitals purchase all their EHR components from a single supplier, patients receive better evidence-based care, according to the study to be published in an upcoming edition of Decision Sciences. When there are multiple vendors involved, data exchange isn’t as efficient, as conditions are often coded differently in different EHRs.
“Even though there are industry efforts to help translate key concepts between components that are sourced from different suppliers to improve interoperability, competing EMR firms have little incentive to get their systems to work and communicate with competitor systems,” said Corey Angst, PhD, a Notre Dame professor of IT, analytics and operations, in a Nov. 10 university news release.
Studying hospital data from 2006 to 2013, the researchers found that as facilities got closer to single sourcing their conformance quality improved — through the positive effect decreased over time.
“Administrators must consider how the number of different suppliers affects routines, interoperability (the capability of two different components to receive and send data) and, ultimately, conformance quality,” stated lead author Kaitlin Wowak, PhD, an associate professor of IT, analytics and operations at Notre Dame.
At the Becker's 11th Annual IT + Revenue Cycle Conference: The Future of AI & Digital Health, taking place September 14–17 in Chicago, healthcare executives and digital leaders from across the country will come together to explore how AI, interoperability, cybersecurity, and revenue cycle innovation are transforming care delivery, strengthening financial performance, and driving the next era of digital health. Apply for complimentary registration now.
