Does health information exchange reduce unnecessary neuroimaging and improve quality of headache care in the emergency department?
BACKGROUND
Health information exchange (HIE) is advocated as an approach to reduce unnecessary testing and improve quality of emergency department (ED) care, but little evidence supports its use. Headache is a specific condition for which HIE has theoretical benefits.


OBJECTIVE
To determine whether health information exchange (HIE) reduces potentially unnecessary neuroimaging, increases adherence with evidence-based guidelines, and decreases costs in the emergency department (ED) evaluation of headache.


METHODS
Longitudinal data analysis


METHODS
All repeat patient-visits (N = 2,102) by all 1,252 adults presenting with headache to a Memphis metropolitan area ED two or more times between August 1, 2007 and July 31, 2009.


METHODS
Use of a regional HIE connecting the 15 major adult hospitals and two regional clinic systems by authorized ED personnel to access the patient's record during the time period in which the patient was being seen in the ED.


METHODS
Diagnostic neuroimaging (CT, CT angiography, MRI or MRI angiography), evidence-based guideline adherence, and total patient-visit estimated cost.


RESULTS
HIE data were accessed for 21.8 % of ED patient-visits for headache. 69.8 % received neuroimaging. HIE was associated with decreased odds of diagnostic neuroimaging (odds ratio [OR] 0.38, confidence interval [CI] 0.29-0.50) and increased adherence with evidence-based guidelines (OR 1.33, CI 1.02-1.73). Administrative/nursing staff HIE use (OR 0.24, CI 0.17-0.34) was also associated with decreased neuroimaging after adjustment for confounding factors. Overall HIE use was not associated with significant changes in costs.


CONCLUSIONS
HIE is associated with decreased diagnostic imaging and increased evidence-based guideline adherence in the emergency evaluation of headache, but was not associated with improvements in overall costs. Controlled trials are needed to test whether specific HIE enhancements to increase HIE use can further reduce potentially unnecessary diagnostic imaging and improve adherence with guidelines while decreasing costs of care.
Division of General Internal Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Tennessee Health Science Center, 956 Court Avenue, Coleman D222, Memphis, TN 38163, USA. jeb@uthsc.edu
James E
JE
Bailey
Jim Y
JY
Wan
Lisa M
LM
Mabry
Stephen H
SH
Landy
Rebecca A
RA
Pope
Teresa M
TM
Waters
Mark E
ME
Frisse
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D057286:Electronic Health Records; D004636:Emergency Service, Hospital / Q000191:economics / Q000458:organization & administration / Q000592:standards*; D019317:Evidence-Based Medicine / Q000379:methods; D005260:Female; D019983:Guideline Adherence / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D020773:Headache Disorders / Q000191:economics / Q000209:etiology*; D017048:Health Care Costs / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D063005:Health Information Systems / Q000458:organization & administration*; D006302:Health Services Research / Q000379:methods; D006801:Humans; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D008491:Medical Informatics Applications; D008875:Middle Aged; D059906:Neuroimaging / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D017410:Practice Guidelines as Topic; D011787:Quality of Health Care; D012008:Recurrence; D013714:Tennessee; D019564:Unnecessary Procedures / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D055815:Young Adult