Do our EHR actions reveal our unconscious biases? A recent study of EHR engagement suggests that this might be the case.
Please confirm that you would like to log out of Medscape. If you log out, you will be required to enter your username and password the next time you visit., your weekly dose of commentary on a new medical study. I'm Dr F. Perry Wilson of the Yale School of Medicine.I'm primarily a clinical researcher, so much of what I do is looking at statistical software, or, more recently, writing grant applications. But even when I think of my clinical duties, I see that computer screen.
The EHR records everything — not just the vital signs and lab values of our patients, not just our notes and billing codes. Everything. Every interaction we have is tracked and can be analyzed. The EHR is basically Sting in the songResearchers are leveraging that panopticon to give insight into something we don't talk about frequently: the issue of racial bias in medicine.
What factors would predict higher engagement? Well, at Vanderbilt there was less engagement with the EHRs of patients who identified as Black, Hispanic, or"other" race. Similar differences were present at Northwestern, except among Black patients who actually got a bit more engagement. But we need to be careful here, because engagement in the health record is not random. Many factors would lead you to spend more time in one patient's chart vs another. Medical complexity is the most obvious one. The authors did their best to account for this, adjusting for patients' age, sex, insurance status, comorbidity score, and social deprivation index based on their zip code. But notably, they did not account for the acuity of illness during the hospitalization.
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
This Is How You Get Patients Back Follow-Up Cancer TestingEHR reminders, phone calls, and letters can help save lives.
Read more »
Scammers targeting people who use FacebookJust one click on the wrong link can potentially compromise everything on your computer.
Read more »
28 Things Under $15 You'll Want For Every Room In Your HomeSmall price, BIG impact.
Read more »
Dodgers News: Dave Roberts Still Admits He’s Learning More Every OctoberDave Roberts is still learning how to win in October.
Read more »
“The Every,” by Dave Eggers, and more short book reviews from readersThis is Eggers at his satirical best, as he illuminates the dangers on the path toward an AI-driven world.
Read more »
Every Jujutsu Kaisen Arc Ranked From Worst to BestAfter being serialized for over 5 years Jujutsu Kaisen has a variety of arcs, all of which are great but some of which are better than others.
Read more »