title: Information technology and hospital patient safety: a cross-sectional study of US acute care hospitals.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine whether health information technology (IT) systems are associated with better patient safety in acute care settings.
  
  
  METHODS
  In a cross-sectional retrospective study, data on hospital patient safety performance for October 2008 to June 2010 were combined with 2007 information technology systems data. The sample included 3002 US non-federal acute care hospitals. Electronic health record (EHR) system was coded as a composite dichotomous variable based on the presence of 10 major clinical and administrative applications that (if in use) could potentially meet stage 1 "meaningful use" objectives. The surgical IT system was measured as a dichotomous variable if a hospital used at least 1 of the perioperative, preoperative, or postoperative information systems. Hospital patient safety performance was measured by risk-standardized estimated rates per 1000 admissions. Statistical analyses were conducted using an estimated dependent variable methodology with gamma-log link-based weighted generalized linear models, adjusting for hospital characteristics, historical composite process quality, and propensity for EHR adoption.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We found that the use of surgical IT systems was associated with 7% to 26% lower rates for 7 of 8 patient safety indicators (incidence rate ratio [IRR] range from 0.74 to 0.93; all P values < .01). Further, stage 1 meaningful use-capable EHR systems were associated with 7% to 11% lower rates on 3 of 8 measures (IRR range from 0.89 to 0.93; all P values < .01).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our results suggest that the use of IT is associated with modestly lower rates of adverse events in hospitals. However, the cross-sectional design limits our ability to make causal conclusions.
authors: University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, School of Public Health, 1200 Pressler St, RAS W-310, Houston, TX 77030. E-mail: Ajit.Appari@uth.tmc.edu.
authors: Ajit
authors: A
authors: Appari
authors: Eric M
authors: EM
authors: Johnson
authors: Denise L
authors: DL
authors: Anthony
mesh_terms: D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D057286:Electronic Health Records / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006739:Hospital Administration / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006742:Hospital Bed Capacity; D006801:Humans; D008490:Medical Informatics / Q000458:organization & administration* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D010067:Ownership; D061214:Patient Safety / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D019984:Quality Indicators, Health Care / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D012111:Residence Characteristics; D012189:Retrospective Studies