Electronic medical record use and efficiency: A DEA and windows
analysis of hospitals
Abby Swanson Kazley a,*, Yasar A. Ozcan b
a Medical University of South Carolina, Department of Health Administration and Policy, Charleston, SC 29425, USA
b Virginia Commonwealth University, Department of Health Administration, Richmond, VA 23298, USA
a r t i c l e i n f o
Article history:
Available online 1 November 2008
Keywords:
DEA
Hospitals
EMR use
Health information technology
a b s t r a c t
We use data envelopment analysis (DEA) to examine the relationship between hospital
electronic medical record (EMR) use and efficiency in a national sample of acute care
hospitals. Data sources include the American Hospital Association (AHA), Health Information
Management Systems Society (HIMSS), and Case Mix Index. Using two research
approaches including a retrospective, cross-sectional design and a first differencing
repeated measures design, we find limited evidence that EMRs can improve hospital
efficiency. Small hospitals may benefit in the area of efficiency through EMR use, but
medium and large hospitals generally do not demonstrate such a difference. Likewise,
there does not appear to be a significant increase in efficiency over time associated with
EMRs when compared to the efficiency of hospitals without such documentation.
2008 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. |
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