Improving the quality of outpatient care for older patients with diabetes: lessons from a comparison of rural and urban communities.


  • Abstract

    Objective

    To assess how medical staffing mix changed over time in association with the adoption of electronic health records (EHRs) in community health centers (CHCs).

    Study Setting

    Community health centers within the 50 states and Washington, DC.

    Study Design

    Estimated how the change in the share of total medical staff full-time equivalents (FTE) by provider category between 2007 and 2013 was associated with EHR adoption using fractional multinomial logit.

    Data Collection

    2007–2013 Uniform Data System, an administrative data set of Section 330 federal grant recipients; and Readiness for Meaningful Use and HIT and Patient Centered Medical Home Recognition Survey responses collected from Section 330 recipients between December 2010 and February 2011.

    Principal Findings

    Having an EHR system did significantly shift the share of workers over time between physicians and each of the other categories of health care workers. While an EHR system significantly shifted the share of physician and other medical staff, this effect did not significantly vary over time. CHCs with EHRs by the end of the study period had a relatively greater proportion of other medical staff compared to the proportion of physicians.

    Conclusions

    Electronic health records appeared to influence staffing allocation in CHCs such that other medical staff may be used to support adoption of EHRs as well as be leveraged as an important care provider.


  • Authors:

    Rosenblatt RA, Baldwin LM, Chan L

  • Journal/Publisher:

    J Fam Pract.

  • Edition:

    Aug 2001. 50(8):676-680

  • Link to Article

    Access the article here: J Fam Pract.

  • Citation:

    Rosenblatt RA, Baldwin LM, Chan L. Improving The Quality Of Outpatient Care For Older Patients With Diabetes: Lessons From A Comparison Of Rural And Urban Communities. J Fam Pract. Aug 2001 50(8):676-680

  • Related Studies:

    Ambulatory Care and the Rural Elderly