The investments made in health information technology and functionality that improves providers' ease of access is reaping significant dividends. Quality Health Network (QHN) recently had the opportunity to ask local providers about their experience with single sign-on (SSO) and how it changes their utilization and access to information in QHN's health information exchange (HIE).

"SSO is the type of thing that you don't realize you need until you have it.  Access to a patient data repository like QHN has its own obvious benefits working in an emergency department," said Pete Dahlheimer, MD, emergency medicine physician at St. Mary's Hospital and RMC. "It saves on a GREAT deal of testing and results in overall far better patient care as most patients don't know their own history in the type of detail available in the QHN comprehensive medical record."

A recent study conducted at three emergency departments in Western New York and published by the Center for Technology Innovation at Brookings, show a significant reduction in the duplication of tests when providers and staff accessed patient health information through an HIE. Avoidable duplication of tests is a financial burden on our healthcare system and impacts patients who may be unnecessarily exposed to radiation, and subject them to longer than necessary wait times in the emergency department.

The results indicate that when additional clinical data through the HIE was accessed the number of lab tests ordered in the emergency departments studied was reduced by 52 percent and radiology exams, such as CT scans, by 36 percent. "This study was completely unnecessary. You don't need such a detailed study to show that access to more patient information will help doctors, said Niam Yaraghi, a Brookings Institution fellow who authored the study. "It is logical, like knowing that a parachute will prevent injury."