RAND Research Topic: Health Care Technology 2012-05-24T20:41:54Z Copyright (c) 2012, The RAND Corporation RAND Corporation http://www.rand.org/topics/health-care-technology.html Medical Records Immune to Tornado in Joplin, Mo. http://www.rand.org/commentary/2012/05/23/USAT.html May 23, 2012 May 23, 2012 Across the country, electronic medical records, designed first and foremost to make health care delivery safer and more efficient, are proving valuable when disaster strikes, write Mahshid Abir and Art Kellermann. John P Caloyeras http://www.rand.org/about/people/c/caloyeras_john_p.html <em>Assistant Policy Analyst</em><br>M.Phil. (Ph.D. candidate) in policy analysis, Pardee RAND Graduate School; B.A. in biology, Carleton College A Prototype Knowledge-Sharing Service for Clinical Decision Support Artifacts http://www.rand.org/pubs/technical_reports/TR1207.html May 17, 2012 May 17, 2012 This report, by researchers from Partners HealthCare and the RAND Corporation, primarily describes the work associated with Task 4.8 of the Advancing Clinical Decision Support effort, a project intended to accelerate the effective use of computer-based clinical decision support (CDS) interventions to facilitate evidence-based clinical practice. Twenty-two CDS artifacts and 16 value sets were developed that cover the five CDS intervention types. Lopamudra Das http://www.rand.org/about/people/d/das_lopamudra.html <em>Assistant Policy Analyst</em><br>M.Phil. (Ph.D. candidate) in public policy analysis, Pardee RAND Graduate School; M.P.H. in health services administration, San Diego State University; B.S. in psychology, University of California at San Diego Expanding Consumer-Directed Health Plans Could Help Cut Overall Health Care Spending http://www.rand.org/pubs/external_publications/EP201200104.html May 7, 2012 May 7, 2012 If consumer-directed health plans grow to account for half of all employer-sponsored insurance in the United States, health costs could drop by $57 billion annually&mdash;about 4 percent of all health care spending among the nonelderly. Could the Strengthening of Health Systems in Africa Improve Industrial Development? http://www.rand.org/randeurope/research/projects/kenya-tanzania-industrial-productivity.html May 1, 2012 May 1, 2012 The performance of health systems is a key determinant of the inclusiveness of economic growth. With Kenya and Tanzania as case studies, RAND Europe is exploring whether potential synergies between industrial development and health systems can contribute to faster and more inclusive growth. Developing a Framework for Establishing Clinical Decision Support Meaningful Use Objectives for Clinical Specialties http://www.rand.org/pubs/technical_reports/TR1129.html Apr 2, 2012 Apr 2, 2012 The federal electronic health record (EHR) incentive program includes clinical decision support (CDS) as a central requirement of improving health outcomes; however, a process for identifying and prioritizing the most promising targets for CDS has not been established. This report describes a protocol for eliciting high-priority targets for electronic CDS for individual clinical specialties and summarizes lessons learned. Focus on Health Information Technology http://www.rand.org/pubs/corporate_pubs/CP639z4-2012-03.html Mar 30, 2012 Mar 30, 2012 For nearly a decade, RAND researchers have studied how health information technology (HIT) stands to change health care. Use of Anesthesia Providers During Gastroenterology Procedures Has Increased Rapidly, but May Be Unneeded http://www.rand.org/pubs/external_publications/EP20120073.html Mar 20, 2012 Mar 20, 2012 The use of dedicated anesthesia providers for routine gastroenterology (GI) procedures is seen as medically justifiable only for high-risk patients. Eliminating these services for low-risk patients could generate $1.1 billion in savings per year. Web-Based Tool for Parents of Children with Flu-Like Symptoms Piloted at DC-Area Hospitals http://www.rand.org/news/press/2012/03/15.html Mar 15, 2012 Mar 15, 2012 Researchers from the RAND Corporation and other institutions have begun pilot-testing a web-based tool designed to help parents and adult caregivers determine whether to seek urgent medical attention for a sick child with flu-like symptoms. Simulation Suggests That Medical Group Mergers Won't Undermine Won't Undermine the Potential Utility of Health Information Exchanges http://www.rand.org/pubs/external_publications/EP20120070.html Mar 1, 2012 Mar 1, 2012 Federal and state agencies are investing substantial resources in the creation of community health information exchanges, which are consortia that enable independent health care organizations to exchange clinical data. Do Physicians Need a 'Shopping Cart' for Health Care Services? http://www.rand.org/commentary/2012/02/22/JAMA.html Feb 22, 2012 Feb 22, 2012 Providing physicians with cost data in real time automatically as a part of the electronic medical record could make them better purchasers for their patients and provide better value, writes Robert H. Brook. Implementation of an Electronic Referral System for Outpatient Specialty Care http://www.rand.org/pubs/reprints/RP1433.html Jan 27, 2012 Jan 27, 2012 Reports the results of interviews with primary care providers and specialist reviewers about the implementation of eReferral, an electronic referral system that creates direct communication between referring and specialty providers. Early Adopters of Electronic Prescribing Struggle to Make Meaningful Use of Formulary Checks and Medication History Documentation http://www.rand.org/pubs/external_publications/EP20120007.html Jan 1, 2012 Jan 1, 2012 In offices where e-prescribing was implemented, prescribers used information about formularies and drug benefits, but missing information reduced confidence in these resources and led to paper-based workarounds. Applying a Natural Language Processing Tool to Electronic Health Records to Assess Performance on Colonoscopy Quality Measures http://www.rand.org/pubs/external_publications/EP20120098.html Jan 1, 2012 Jan 1, 2012 Natural language processing programs can &quot;read&quot; dictated reports and measure colonoscopy quality in an inexpensive, automated, and efficient manner. Influence of Integrated Electronic Medical Records and Computerized Nursing Notes on Nurses' Time Spent in Documentation http://www.rand.org/pubs/external_publications/EP20120062.html Jan 1, 2012 Jan 1, 2012 With or without electronic charting options, nurses spend about 19% of their time completing documentation, compared with all other categories of care. High-priority Drug-drug Interactions for Use in Electronic Health Records http://www.rand.org/pubs/external_publications/EP201200116.html Jan 1, 2012 Jan 1, 2012 A panel of experts highlighted the complexity of issues surrounding development and implementation of a set of high-severity, clinically significant drug–drug interactions (DDIs) for use in electronic health records (EHRs). Online Guide Helps Health Organizations Adopt Electronic Health Records http://www.rand.org/news/press/2011/12/14.html Dec 14, 2011 Dec 14, 2011 A new online tool, called the "Unintended Consequences Guide," is available from the U.S. Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality to help hospitals and other health care organizations anticipate, avoid, and address problems that can occur when adopting and using electronic health records. Developing a Natural Language Processing Application for Measuring the Quality of Colonoscopy Procedures http://www.rand.org/pubs/external_publications/EP201100290.html Dec 1, 2011 Dec 1, 2011 The authors develop a natural language processing (NLP) application to measure colonoscopy quality. Saba Hinrichs http://www.rand.org/about/people/h/hinrichs_saba.html <em>Analyst</em><br>Ph.D. in engineering design, healthcare systems, University of Cambridge; M.Eng. in electronic engineering, University of Warwick