Digital records may not cut health costs, study cautions
Computerized patient records are unlikely to cut healthcare costs and may actually encourage doctors to order expensive tests more often, a study published on Monday concludes. Research in the journal Health Affairs found that doctors using computers to track tests, like X-rays and magnetic resonance imaging, ordered far more tests than doctors relying on paper records. The study showed there was a 40 percent higher rate of image testing by doctors using electronic technology instead of paper records. The gap was even greater—a 70 percent higher rate—for more advanced and expensive image tests.
- Antibiotic Overuse a 'Huge Threat' to Patient Safety, Says CDC
- CFO Exchange: Smartphones Poised to Disrupt Healthcare, Says Topol
- Consumerism Drives Healthcare Branding, Rebranding Efforts
- 3 Traits Personality Assessments Can't Reveal
- PA Ranks See 'Phenomenal Growth,' Lack of Diversity
- CHS Hacked, 4.5M Patient Records Compromised
- Business Roundup: M&A Activity Down Slightly in First Half of 2014
- CFO Exchange: Healthcare Leaders Share 5 Innovative Ideas
- Large Employers Trimming Healthcare Spending
- CNO on Hospital Redesign: 'You Can't Over-Communicate'