Health IT
There is a strong need for health information exchanges in emergency departments, although most physicians surveyed were not aware of such exchanges, according to a study published in the Journal of the American Medical Informatics Association.
Researchers found that among 371 emergency physicians in 12 New York City hospitals:
- 63% said their patients would benefit from external health information; and
- 85% said it was difficult or very difficult to obtain such information because of time constraints.
The authors concluded that as regional health information organizations and health information exchanges continue to progress and expand, it will be important to seek additional input from clinicians to ensure that HIEs and RHIOs meet their needs (Shapiro et al., Journal of the American Medical Informatics Association, 8/21). This is part of the California Healthline Daily Edition, a summary of health policy coverage from major news organizations. Sign up for an email subscription.
