Study: EHRs Speed Up Treatment of Patients With Chlamydia

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Friday, May 28, 2010

Study: EHRs Speed Up Treatment of Patients With Chlamydia

Electronic health records can significantly expedite treatment for patients with chlamydia, according to a study published online Thursday in the journal Sexually Transmitted Infections, HealthDay/U.S. News & World Report reports.

For the study, researchers examined the medical records of 100 patients who were treated at a sexual health clinic either before or after it converted to an EHR system.

Researchers found that before the clinic adopted EHRs, it took an average of 11.5 days for a patient to be treated after a chlamydia diagnosis, compared with 3.5 days after the clinic switched to EHRs.

In addition, the percentage of patients who were treated within two weeks of testing positive for chlamydia increased from 38% before the EHR system to 94% after the clinic implemented the EHR system (HealthDay/U.S. News & World Report, 5/27).