Slide Presentation of the 2007 Annual Meeting of AHRQ

Benefits Projections: Labs

• Labs
  • Hospitals—10% reduction in total labs ordered @ average cost per lab
  • Outpatient—9% reduction in total labs ordered @ average cost per lab

Estimate based on mix of EMR vs. HIE studies:

• Tierney et al. published the results of three prospective randomized controlled studies to examine the impact of electronic information on physician test ordering behavior. In each of these studies the authors found that the volume of tests decreased between 9% and 16.8%. (Tierney, W.M., McDonald, C.J., Martin, D.K., Rogers, M.P. (1987). Computerized display of past test results. Annuals of Internal Medicine, 107, 569-574.; Tierney, W.M., McDonald, C.J., Hui, S.L., Martin, D.K. (1988). Computer predictions of abnormal test results. JAMA, 259, 1194-1198; Tierney, W.M., Miller, M.E., McDonald, C.J. (1990). The effect on test ordering of informing physicians of the charges for outpatient diagnostic tests. New England Journal of Medicine, 322, 1499-1504.)
• Girosi, F., Meili, R., Scoville, R. (2005). Extrapolating evidence of health information technology savings and costs. Santa Monica, CA: RAND Corporation.