White paper: EHR implementation should be aligned with quality measures

A new white paper from Virginia-based consulting firm Computer Sciences Corp. urges hospitals to consider changing priorities for EHR implementation in order to provide better data for quality measures used for pay-for-performance programs (Source: “Report: Change EHR Priorities,” Health Data Management, April 24, 2009).

“The typical sequence of implementing the inpatient EHR usually places electronic problem lists and physician documentation at the end of the journey, although the medical and surgical core measures rely heavily on information that can be provided by these sources,” according to the CSC report (pdf, 9 pages). “Moving up the implementation of the electronic documentation of the physician history and physical and the electronic problem list (including surgical care and the ED) is worth considering because it would provide a more complete information base for concurrent quality management.”