I recently read through a study performed by RAND researchers that examined the benefit/cost analysis of EMR adoption/interoperability, "Can Electronic Medical Record Systems Transform Health Care? Potential Health Benefits, Savings, and Costs?"
The study predicts efficiency and safety savings of $142-371 billion dollars (didn't see a time frame) with the adoption of interoperable EMR systems.
The study speaks to efficiency savings, safety and health benefits. I listed some high level detail below. For more details to the headers below and study design, feel free to review the full article:
http://content.healthaffairs.org/content/24/5/1103.full.pdf+html
1.
Efficiency savings in outpatient
setting included eliminating transcription and chart pull services, easier
access to lab/radiology tests, better decision support for drug prescription, etc.
2.
Efficiency savings in the inpatient
setting included decreased nursing times/length-of stay, simpler access to
medical records, easier access to lab/radiology tests, etc.
3.
Safety benefits from HIT including reducing
adverse drug events in inpatient and ambulatory settings
4.
Using HIT for short-term term
preventive care
5.
Using HIT for near-term chronic
disease management
6.
Using HIT for long-term chronic
disease prevention and management
