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Information Technology and Patient Health: Analyzing Outcomes, Populations, and Mechanisms

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  • Seth Freedman
  • Haizhen Lin
  • Jeffrey Prince

Abstract

We study the effect of hospital adoption of electronic medical records (EMRs) on health outcomes, particularly patient safety indicators (PSIs). We find evidence of a positive impact of EMRs on PSIs via decision support rather than care coordination. Consistent with this mechanism, we find an EMR with decision support is more effective at reducing PSIs for less complicated cases, using several different metrics for complication. These findings indicate the negligible impacts for EMRs found by previous studies focusing on the Medicare population and/or mortality do not apply in all settings.

Suggested Citation

  • Seth Freedman & Haizhen Lin & Jeffrey Prince, 2015. "Information Technology and Patient Health: Analyzing Outcomes, Populations, and Mechanisms," NBER Working Papers 21389, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    • Handle: RePEc:nbr:nberwo:21389
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    Cited by:

    1. Seth Freedman & Haizhen Lin & Jeffrey Prince, 2018. "Does Competition Lead to Agglomeration or Dispersion in EMR Vendor Decisions?," Review of Industrial Organization, Springer;The Industrial Organization Society, vol. 53(1), pages 57-79, August.
    2. Gautam Gowrisankaran & Keith A. Joiner & Jianjing Lin, 2016. "How do Hospitals Respond to Payment Incentives?," NBER Working Papers 22873, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    3. Seth Freedman & Noah Hammarlund, 2019. "Electronic medical records and medical procedure choice: Evidence from cesarean sections," Health Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 28(10), pages 1179-1193, October.

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    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • I10 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Health - - - General
    • O33 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Innovation; Research and Development; Technological Change; Intellectual Property Rights - - - Technological Change: Choices and Consequences; Diffusion Processes

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