| Effect Analyses of a Health Information Exchange in Ophthalmology: Evidence from a Pilot Program. |
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Ju Eun Kim, Hong Kyu Kim, Tyler Hyungtaek Rim, Young Ah Kim, Sung Soo Kim |
1Department of Ophthalmology, Dankook University College of Medicine, Cheonan, Korea. hongqoo@gmail.com
2Department of Ophthalomology, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
3Center for Precision Medicine and Data Science, Yonsei University Health System, Seoul, Korea. |
| 안과에서 시행한 진료정보교류에 대한 효과 분석 |
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김주은1⋅김홍규1⋅임형택2⋅김영아3⋅김성수2 |
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단국대학교 의과대학 안과학교실1, 연세대학교 의과대학 안과학교실2, 연세대학교 정밀의료 데이터사이언스ICT센터3 |
Correspondence:
Hong Kyu Kim,
Email: hongqoo@gmail.com
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Received: 2 August 2018 • Revised: 23 October 2018 • Accepted: 19 February 2019 |
| Abstract |
PURPOSE
To estimate the impact of a health information exchange (HIE) pilot project on ophthalmology department care. METHODS: Study sites included 4 ophthalmic clinics in three regions participating in the HIE pilot project (group A), and 12 clinics with similar distances and numbers of patient referrals as group A but who were not participating in the HIE pilot project (group B). The mean wait time, total medical costs, and ophthalmic examinations of referral patients were analyzed. RESULTS: The mean wait times were 8.4 ± 8.0 days in group A, which included 83 patients, and 11.7 ± 15.4 days in group B, which included 417 patients. The wait time was significantly shorter in group A (p = 0.005). Sensitivity analyses also indicated shorter wait times in group A. In 247 patients in group B who were referred to tertiary referral hospitals automatically through the conventional clinical cooperation center with group A, the wait times were 8.4 ± 8.0 and 7.7 ± 8.8 days, respectively, and the total cost of medical care was 260.6 ± 271.4 and 257.0 ± 251.7 thousand Won, respectively. No differences in these factors were found between the groups (p = 0.503, 0.913, respectively). There were no significant differences in participation in the HIE pilot project regarding ophthalmic examinations conducted within 2 weeks since patient referral (p > 0.050 for all). CONCLUSIONS: The HIE is advantageous because it results in shorter wait times to see an ophthalmologist, due to the automatic referral method based on medical records. However, there are no benefits in reducing total costs of medical care or the number of clinical examinations. |
| Key Words:
Health communication;Health information exchange;Tertiary healthcare |
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