By a News Reporter-Staff News Editor at Information Technology Newsweekly — New research on Medical Records is the subject of a report. According to news reporting out of Waterloo, Canada, by VerticalNews editors, research stated, “The consequences of parallel paper and electronic medical records (EMR) and their impact on informational continuity are examined. An interdisciplinary team conducted a multi-site, ethnographic field study and retrospective documentation review from January 2010 to December 2010.”
Our news journalists obtained a quote from the research from the University of Waterloo, “Three case studies from the sample of older patients with hip fractures who were transitioning across care settings were selected for examination. Analysis of data from interviews with care providers in each setting, field observation notes, and reviews of medical records yielded two themes. First, the lack of interoperability between electronic information systems has complicated, not eased providers’ ability to communicate with others. Second, rather than transforming the system, digital records have sustained health care’s ‘culture of documentation’. While some information is more accessible and communications streamlined, parallel paper and electronic systems have added to front line providers’ burden, not lessened it.”
According to the news editors, the research concluded: “Implementation of truly interoperable electronic health information systems need to be expedited to improve care continuity for patients with complex health-care needs, such as older patients with hip fractures.”
For more information on this research see: ‘Trying to find information is like hating yourself every day’: the collision of electronic information systems in transition with patients in transition. Health Informatics Journal, 2013;19(3):218-32. Health Informatics Journal can be contacted at: SAGE Publications, USA , 2455 Teller Road, Thousand Oaks, CA 91320, USA. (Sage Publications – www.sagepub.com/; Health Informatics Journal – jhi.sagepub.com)
Our news journalists report that additional information may be obtained by contacting J. McMurray, School of Public Health and Health Systems, University of Waterloo, 200 University Avenue, Waterloo, ON N2L3G1, Canada. Additional authors for this research include E. Hicks, H. Johnson, J. Elliott, K. Byrne and P. Stolee.
Publisher contact information for the Health Informatics Journal is: SAGE Publications, USA , 2455 Teller Road, Thousand Oaks, CA 91320, USA.
Keywords for this news article include: Canada, Ontario, Waterloo, Medical Records, Information Technology, North and Central America, Information and Data Systems.
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