Title: Advanced electronic health record use and quality of asthma care in hospitals that care for children

Authors: Abby Swanson Kazley; Ronald J. Teufel II

Addresses: Department of Health Care Leadership and Management, Medical University of South Carolina, 151 Rutledge Ave, Charleston, SC 29425, USA ' Department of Pediatrics, Medical University of South Carolina, 135 Rutledge Ave, Charleston, SC 29425, USA

Abstract: Hospitals, including those that care for children, have been encouraged to use electronic health records in a meaningful way to improve the cost and efficiency of healthcare. Despite these incentives, studies have provided mixed reviews on the relationship between electronic health record use and quality. In this study, we examine the relationship between advanced stage 4 EHR use, which is consistent with meaningful use, and its impact of adherence to asthma process measures in hospitals that care for children. Using univariate statistics and multivariate regression while controlling for organisational factors, we find no evidence of a significant difference in quality based on stage of EHR use. This may be indicative of a lack of EHR products tailored to serve children.

Keywords: electronic health records; EHRs; healthcare quality; process measures; paediatrics; children's hospitals; child care; asthma care; childhood asthma; healthcare management.

DOI: 10.1504/IJHTM.2015.070513

International Journal of Healthcare Technology and Management, 2015 Vol.15 No.1, pp.22 - 30

Accepted: 18 Oct 2014
Published online: 09 Jul 2015 *

Full-text access for editors Full-text access for subscribers Purchase this article Comment on this article