Hip Fracture Data: Can Electronic Records Stop Costly Errors?
"Discover how electronic health records (EHRs) are revolutionizing hip fracture data accuracy, leading to better patient outcomes and reduced healthcare costs. Is your hospital ready?"
Fragility fractures, particularly hip fractures, pose a significant challenge to healthcare systems worldwide. In the UK alone, they account for approximately £2 billion of the healthcare budget annually. With the number of hip fracture admissions expected to exceed 100,000 by 2020, the clinical and economic burden is set to increase, demanding innovative solutions.
In response to this growing concern, organizations such as the British Orthopaedic Association (BOA) and the British Geriatrics Society (BGS) have collaborated to establish national standards of care. The National Hip Fracture Database (NHFD) was created to measure hospital performance against evidence-based standards. Data on demographics, admission times, surgery details, and discharge information are entered into the NHFD, helping hospitals benchmark their care and improve patient outcomes.
While the NHFD has driven improvements in patient care, concerns have been raised about the accuracy of its data. Errors in surgical databases are not uncommon, prompting the need for better validation methods. One promising solution is the use of electronic health record systems (EHRs), which allow for real-time, standardized data recording through clinician-completed templates. But can EHRs truly reduce errors in national databases? This article explores the impact of EHRs on the validity of hip fracture data, offering insights into how these systems can enhance accuracy, reduce costs, and improve patient outcomes.
How EHRs Improve Hip Fracture Data Quality
A recent study published in Age and Ageing investigated the effect of EHRs on the validity of data submitted to the NHFD from a major trauma center in the UK. Researchers compared NHFD data with locally held data before and after the introduction of an EHR system to assess its integrity. The study reviewed 3,224 records from July 2009 to July 2017, with 2,133 records submitted before and 1,091 after the EHR implementation.
- Reduced Coding Errors: Operation coding errors decreased significantly with EHR use.
- Improved Mortality Data: Accurate recording of mortality rates increased substantially.
- Better Data Capture: EHRs facilitated more reliable and comprehensive data collection.
The Future of Hip Fracture Care: Leveraging EHRs for Better Outcomes
The study underscores the importance of clinician engagement with new technologies to avoid human error and ensure database integrity. As healthcare systems move towards becoming paperless, EHRs offer a powerful tool for improving data quality and patient outcomes. By mandating the use of standardized templates and ensuring comprehensive data collection, healthcare providers can leverage EHRs to drive continuous improvement in hip fracture care and beyond.