Health Care Utilization, Health Information Exchange, Health Information Technology, Virtual Health Record
Conditions
Keywords
Health information technology, Health information exchange, Virtual health record, Health care utilization
Brief summary
The purpose of this study is to assess usage of the virtual health record (VHR), and determine the effects of this technology on healthcare utilization.
Detailed description
National efforts are underway to support the implementation of technology that enables providers to electronically access and view community-wide clinical information for their patients, which has the potential to improve quality of care and reduce health care costs by providing timely and complete health information at the point of care. However, few empirical studies have been conducted to evaluate the economic effects of this technology. Along with other stakeholders, New York State is funding regional health information organizations (RHIOs) to deploy a virtual health record (VHR), which is technology that enables providers to electronically access community-wide clinical data for patients who have consented to have their clinical data accessed via a web portal. RHIOs bring together multiple stakeholders, including physician practices, hospitals, pharmacies, and laboratories, for the purpose of exchanging clinical information electronically across communities. The investigators will conduct a multi-RHIO retrospective pre-post, cohort study of adult patients who have consented to have their clinical data viewed by their providers using the VHR portal. Examining the effects of electronically accessing clinical data on healthcare utilization across multiple settings and communities can help inform the national health IT initiative that is underway and allow assessment of the economic value of these technologies.
Interventions
OTHERVirtual Health Record (VHR)
Technology that enables providers to electronically access community-wide clinical data for patients who have consented to have their clinical data accessed via a web portal.
Sponsors
New York State Department of Health
Weill Medical College of Cornell University
Study design
Observational model
COHORT
Time perspective
RETROSPECTIVE
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
ALL
Age
18 Years to No maximum
Healthy volunteers
Yes
Inclusion criteria
* Patients that are aged 18 and older who have consented during the year 2009 to allow their provider use of their VHR data and had at least one visit to a healthcare provider that is a VHR user within 6 months after they consented to allow their provider use of their VHR data. (Note: we only wish to include individuals who have had the opportunity for their data to be viewed using the VHR web portal). Providers who are participating in the Regional Health Information Exchange (RHIO).
Exclusion criteria
* Patients and providers who do not meet the above criteria
Design outcomes
Primary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| VHR Usage | 1 year | Data from the VHR web portal database which records patient consent and provider usage of the web portal |
| Changes in Healthcare Utilization | 1 year | A retrospective set of claims data will be used to characterize healthcare utilization and describe the study population |
Countries
United States
Outcome results
None listed