title: Community clinical data exchange for emergency medicine patients.
abstract: Little is known about the opportunities for a community clinical data exchange network to influence patient care. Rates of patient "cross-over" among different institutions can provide one estimate of the additional value such systems have over unconnected, independent institutional electronic medical records. The Indiana Network for Patient Care (INPC) represents such a system, involving a collaboration of central Indiana hospitals to improve patient care. During a one year study period, 288,696 patients made 471,640 Emergency Department (ED) visits within the INPC collaboration -- accounting for 92% of all Indianapolis ED visits. Overall 25% of the patients with more than one visit also visited one of the other five hospital systems, accounting for 19% of all visits. Our results help clarify the expected frequency within one large metropolitan area that ED patients could obtain direct benefit from a community clinical data exchange network.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, USA.
authors.forename: John T
authors.initials: JT
authors.lastname: Finnell
authors.forename: J Marc
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Overhage
authors.forename: Paul R
authors.initials: PR
authors.lastname: Dexter
authors.forename: Susan M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Perkins
authors.forename: Kathleen A
authors.initials: KA
authors.lastname: Lane
authors.forename: Clement J
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: McDonald
mesh_terms: D019058:Community Networks; D004636:Emergency Service, Hospital / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D007196:Indiana; D008498:Medical Record Linkage; D016347:Medical Records Systems, Computerized / Q000458:organization & administration*; D012041:Regional Medical Programs / Q000458:organization & administration*