The Kaiser Permanente Electronic Health Record: transforming and streamlining modalities of care.
We examined the impact of implementing a comprehensive electronic health record (EHR) system on ambulatory care use in an integrated health care delivery system with more than 225,000 members. Between 2004 and 2007, the annual age/sex-adjusted total office visit rate decreased 26.2 percent, the adjusted primary care office visit rate decreased 25.3 percent, and the adjusted specialty care office visit rate decreased 21.5 percent. Scheduled telephone visits increased more than eightfold, and secure e-mail messaging, which began in late 2005, increased nearly sixfold by 2007. Introducing an EHR creates operational efficiencies by offering nontraditional, patient-centered ways of providing care.
Chen
Catherine
C
KP headquarters in Oakland, California, USA. catherine.chen@kp.org
Garrido
Terhilda
T
Chock
Don
D
Okawa
Grant
G
Liang
Louise
L
D000553:Ambulatory Care / Q000458:organization & administration* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D019033:Delivery of Health Care, Integrated / Q000458:organization & administration*; D017598:Efficiency, Organizational; D057286:Electronic Health Records; D006801:Humans; D007256:Information Systems; D008329:Managed Care Programs / Q000458:organization & administration*; D009936:Organizational Innovation; D012189:Retrospective Studies