November 7, 2008
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Sarah Mashburn, CAST, (202) 413-8062
Research Shows Nursing Homes Lead the Way in Electronic Health Record Use
Washington, D.C. - The rate of nursing homes using electronic information systems (EIS) is considerably higher than previous estimates and compares favorably to other health care settings, according to a new study released by the American Association of Homes and Services for the Aging (AAHSA).
The AAHSA report is an analysis of data from the 2004 National Nursing Home Survey. This survey features data regarding EIS use in 12 functional areas, including both administrative and resident care activities. It is the most recent and accurate picture of EIS use in America’s nursing homes
Using the data, researchers from AAHSA as well as the association’s Center for Aging Services Technologies (CAST) and Institute for the Future of Aging Services (IFAS) found that in 2004, nearly all U.S. nursing homes had EIS for Minimum Data Set (MDS) data collection and billing.
Researchers also found that 43 percent of U.S. nursing homes maintained electronic health records, compared to 25 percent of physician offices and 59 percent of hospitals as noted in other studies. In addition, 48 percent of nursing homes had computerized physician orders, 51 percent used electronic systems for medication orders and 41 percent used electronic systems to manage laboratory information.
Researchers also found that a nursing home’s ownership, membership in a chain and size are factors in its EIS use. Larger facilities and those that were part of a chain used more electronic systems than smaller, stand-alone facilities.
“This report suggests that the long-term care providers are not only aware of the importance of electronic health reporting, but that they have adopted these technologies at a higher rate than providers in other settings,” Helaine Resnick, Ph.D., director of research at IFAS and the study’s lead author, said.
“There is perception that nursing homes 'lag behind' other settings when it comes to using in electronic health records,” said Majd Alwan, Ph.D., CAST director. “This report shows that perception simply isn’t the case.”
“It is time for long-term care providers to take a seat at the table as a leader in national efforts to advance the development of electronic health records,” said Barbara Manard, Ph.D., AAHSA’s vice president of long-term health strategies.
The study was recently published in an online edition of the Journal of the American Medical Informatics Association. The abstract of the report is also available on AAHSA’s Web site.
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About AAHSA
The members of the American Association of Homes and Services for the Aging (www.aahsa.org) help millions of individuals and their families every day through mission-driven, not-for-profit organizations dedicated to providing the services that people need, when they need them, in the place they call home. Our 5,800 member organizations, many of which have served their communities for generations, offer the continuum of aging services: adult day services, home health, community services, senior housing, assisted living residences, continuing care retirement communities and nursing homes. AAHSA’s commitment is to create the future of aging services through quality people can trust.