Providing radiologists with access to electronic health records (EHRs) can influence interpretations of emergent neuroradiology exams, if a study published in the May issue of Health Affairs is any indication.
The study analyzed interpretations from more than 2,000 consecutive head CT scans ordered by emergency department physicians. Researchers from the Medical College of Wisconsin (MCW) concluded that additional information derived from radiologist access to the EHR was very likely to have influenced radiological interpretations in more than 6% of the studies (Health Affairs, Vol. 33:5, pp. 800-806).
In a prospective expert-rater analysis, three neuroradiologists reviewed each head CT exam and compared medical information provided by emergency department physicians with the information generated by the interpreting radiologist who had access to additional patient data from the EHR.
The neuroradiologists reached consensus (at least two of three agreed) that in 6.1% of the cases, the EHR information was very likely to have influenced interpretations and that lack of this data would have adversely affected medical management in those patients. In 22% of cases, the additional information from the EHR was considered to possibly have a clinically significant impact on the head CT interpretation.
"Healthcare providers must recognize the value of implementing EHRs and foster their widespread adoption," wrote the team led by Michael Franczak, at the time a research assistant in MCW's department of radiology.
