Eliminating Barriers to EHR Use Could Produce Massive Savings

Health care providers have experienced the benefits of implementing electronic health record systems at their practices for tracking patients' clinical progress from various treatments. According to a new report, advanced EHR software use could produce significant financial savings for the global market.

The impact of EHR use is monumental
EHRIntelligence reported that Juniper Research, a U.K.-based research organization, published a report that indicated the worldwide health care market could save as much as $78 billion over the next five years from EHRs. Many factors contributed to their estimate, including advancements to population health management and value-based accountable care.

"Advanced EHRs will provide the 'glue' to bring together the devices, stakeholders and medical records in the future connected healthcare environment," wrote report author Anthony Cox, quoted by the source.

Despite the clear benefits of EHRs, many providers in the U.S. continue to struggle with implementing the software due to high upfront expenses and further investments that are necessary to optimize their health IT. However, organizations are still optimistic that EHR software can have a positive effect on health care as practices attempt to adhere to the standards of Meaningful Use and other federal programs.

Barriers to public health data still exist
The adoption of EHRs has led to an increase in clinical information being stored in health systems' infrastructures. Unfortunately, roadblocks continue to negatively impact the use of this data, FierceHealthIT explained.

These barriers affect decision-making for medical imaging specialists and other providers who try to optimize EHRs at their practices. Analysis from the National Institutes of Health and The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, published in BMC Public Health, indicated that this could hinder the ability to tackle global health threats, such as cancer.

"Data on disease surveillance, intervention coverage, vital statistics and mortality represent some of the most widely collected but also some of the most underused data," wrote Willem van Panhuis, Ph.D., lead author and assistant professor of epidemiology at Pitt Public Health, quoted by FierceHealthIT. "Innovative methods for collection of new data are developed all the time, but a framework to share all these data for the global good is seriously lacking."

It can be difficult to fully overcome these barriers, but increased funding for information systems can enhance the services that EHRs provide. Soon, practices will be able to practice effective data exchange to improve the continuum of care across facilities.

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Ronny Bachrach

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