AHRQ Health IT Update: EHR "Chart Biopsies"

AHRQ Health IT Update: EHR "Chart Biopsies"

AHRQ Health IT Update: EHR "Chart Biopsies"

Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) sent this bulletin at 01/28/2013 04:25 PM EST

Clinicians Perform “Chart Biopsies” to

 Prepare for Patient Handoffs

An AHRQ-funded study examines the practice of “chart biopsies,” a process that allows receiving clinicians to understand patients’ clinical course prior to handoff. According to the article, “Chart Biopsy: An Emerging Medical Practice Enabled by Electronic Health Records and Its Impacts on Emergency Department-Inpatient Admission Handoffs,” the term ”chart biopsy” refers to the activity of examining portions of a patient’s electronic health record (EHR) to gather specific information about that patient or to develop a broader understanding of the patient’s care. With many hospitals moving to EHRs, practitioners are now able to view patient records prior to the physical transfer of the patient. Chart biopsies enable receiving clinicians to gain a stronger understanding of the patient’s condition, allow receiving practitioners to better prepare for handoff and subsequent care, and guard against possible bias in verbal reports. Chart biopsy is an emerging practice that is not yet available as a tool in all hospitals. However, proponents point out that chart biopsy provides a tool to enrich coordination and collaboration, which may enable safety, efficiency, and effectiveness of medical care. To access the article, which appeared in the September 2012 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Informatics Association, select: http://1.usa.gov/PT9qJH