Impact of an electronic link between the emergency department and family physicians: a randomized controlled trial

• HIT Description: Electronic communication More info...
  
• Purpose of Study: To determine the effect of an email communication system on resource utilization in the emergency department and family physician offices
  
• Years of study: Not Available
  
• Study Design: Randomized controlled trial
  
• Outcomes: Impact on efficiency, utilization, and costs
  

• Settings: Emergency department of a 637-bed university teaching hospital in Montreal, Quebec, Canada
• Intervention: Compared rates of repeat ED visits, duplication of tests and consultations for providers receiving an Internet-based detailed report of their patients' ED visit versus a mailed one-page copy of the ED note.
• Evaluation Method: hospital database analysis, physician questionnaire
• Description: The SCS program automatically sent emails daily to all family MDs randomized to the intervention group. 23 general practices participated in this study. The email informed the MD that his/her patient was treated in the emergency department within the past 24 hours. The email provided a secure web link to medical reports with name, symptoms, diagnosis, disposition, lab work, images, discharge plan, etc.
• Interoperability: Emergency department records links by web to patient's primary provider.
• Healthcare Utilization: The program failed to reduce the number of hospital admissions as well as repeat visits to the emergency department within 14 days and within 28 days. Mean length of stay and number of tests ordered did not decrease