Using Electronic Health Records to Improve Patient Education

Read about the results of AHRQ-funded research in the book chapter, “Improving Patient Education With Electronic Health Records.” This research investigated the best approaches for using EHRs to provide patients with materials that are understandable and actionable, especially those with limited health literacy and English proficiency. The chapter includes:

• A review of existing EHR systems to understand how they are designed and used to deliver patient information
• Two case studies of health systems using EHRs to address patient education for populations with limited literacy or English proficiency
• Implications for Meaningful Use criteria.

The chapter is included in the report, Health Information Technology in the United States: Better Information Systems for Better Care, 2013, published by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF).