Research and Projects: AHRQ THQIT and SRD Portfolio

Idaho

Rural Community Partnerships-EMR Implementation Project

Description:  Implements an ambulatory EMR in multiple rural primary and specialist care provider settings and measures the impact of health information technology on clinical practice, organizational structure, and financial benefits; integrates ambulatory electronic medical record case scenarios into the curricula of the Health Science and Human Services Department to ensure that future healthcare providers have adequate training and exposure to ambulatory EMR technology.

Abstract:  DESCRIPTION (provided by the applicant): The project's specific purpose is to implement ambulatory electronic medical record (AEMR) in multiple rural primary- and specialist-care provider settings. The Rural Community Partnerships-EMR Implementation Project will improve overall patient and provider access to high-quality health care information. Key objectives will measure the impact of the health information technology implementation as it relates to clinical practice, organizational structure, and financial benefits relating to the hypotheses. Each of the above stated hypotheses is tied directly to overarching partnership goals, measurable objectives, and activities related to the implementation of AEMR at each of the participating institutions. The following hypotheses have been postulated for this project: 1. Rural AEMR implementation and integration with human factors will result in an increase in the efficiency of patient data verification versus chart pulls (objectives 2, 3, and 4). 2. Rural AEMR implementation will increase the numbers of patients seen for immunizations, wellness screening, and proactive acute and chronic condition management (objectives 6, 7, and 8). 3. Rural AEMR implementation will reduce the overall costs of transcription, expenditures on office supplies, costs related to filing expenses, and will reduce the number of lost charges (objectives 9, 10, 11, and 12). 4. Rural AEMR implementation in managed practice settings will increase additional primary and specialist care provider interest in managed practice services. 5. Rural AEMR implementation will improve technological skills and exposure of graduates transitioning from a post-secondary setting to the workforce as a result of AEMR integration into the curricula (objective 13).

Year 1 Funding:  $403,272

Estimated Total Funding:  $924,216

Principal Investigator:  R'Nee Mullen

Applicant Institution:  Magic Valley Memorial Hospital

City/Town:  Twin Falls, Idaho

State:  Idaho

Grant Number:  UC1 HS15302

Category:  Implementation Grants (THQIT)

Thesaurus Terms:  automated medical record system, computer system design /evaluation, health care quality, health care service evaluation, medically underserved population, patient care management, rural area, computer assisted patient care, cooperative study, health care cost /financing, health care service availability, health care service planning, health care service utilization, hospital organization /administration, nursing education, patient safety /medical error, behavioral /social science research tag, clinical research, health services research tag, human data, human subject, patient oriented research

Project Start Date:  Sep 20, 2004

Project End Date:  Aug 31, 2007