Retrospective analysis of the impact of electronic medical record alerts on low value care in a pediatric hospital.

ABSTRACT:

Objectives

Hospital costs continue to rise unsustainably. Up to 20% of care is wasteful including low value care (LVC). This study aimed to understand whether electronic medical record (EMR) alerts are effective at reducing pediatric LVC and measure the impact on hospital costs.

Materials and methods

Using EMR data over a 76-month period, we evaluated changes in 4 LVC practices following the implementation of EMR alerts, using time series analysis to control for underlying time-based trends, in a large pediatric hospital in Australia. The main outcome measure was the change in rate of each LVC practice. Balancing measures included the rate of alert adherence as a proxy measure for risk of alert fatigue. Hospital costs were calculated by the volume of LVC avoided multiplied b

SUBMITTER: Lawrence J 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10873857 | biostudies-literature | 2024 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature