The Effectiveness of Implementing an Electronic Health Record on Diabetes Care and Outcomes

Objective To assess the impact of electronic health record (EHR) implementation on primary care diabetes care. Data Sources Charts were ed semi‐annually for 14,051 diabetes patients seen in 34 primary care practices in a large, fee‐for‐service network from January 1, 2005 to December 31, 2010. The study sample was limited to patients aged 40 years or older. Study Design A naturalistic experiment in which GE Centricity Physician Office–EMR 2005 was rolled out over a staggered 3‐year schedule. Data Collection Chart audits were conducted using the AMA/Physician Consortium Adult Diabetes Measure set. The primary outcome was the HealthPartners’ “optimal care” measure: HbA1c ≤ 8 percent; LDL cholesterol