Achieving Adherence to Evidence-Based Practices: Are Health IT and Hospital–Physician Integration Complementary or Substitutive Strategies?. (December 2016)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Everson, Jordan; Lee, Shoou-Yih Daniel; Adler-Milstein, Julia
• Other Names: Singer Sara J. guest-editor.; Vogus Timothy J. guest-editor.
• Is Part Of: Medical care research and review. Volume 73:Number 6(2016:Dec.)
• Page Start: 724
• Page End: 751
• Publication Date: 2016-12
• Subjects: hospitals -- health information technology -- hospital–physician integration -- evidence-based care; Medical care -- United States -- Periodicals; Medical care -- Periodicals; Medical care -- Research -- United States -- Periodicals; Medical care -- Research -- Periodicals; Medical economics -- United States -- Periodicals; Medical economics -- Periodicals; 362.10973
• DOI: 10.1177/1077558715625011
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1077-5587

Abstract

In response to evolving policies and conditions, hospitals have increased health information technology (HIT) adoption and strived to improve hospital–physician integration. While evidence suggests that both HIT and integration confer independent benefits, when combined, they may provide complementary means to achieve high performance or overlap to offset each other's contribution. We explore this relationship in the context of hospital adherence to evidence-based practices (EBPs). Using the American Hospital Association's Annual and IT Supplement surveys, and Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services's Hospital Compare, we estimate the independent relationships and interactions between HIT and hospital–physician integration with respect to EBP adherence. HIT adoption and tight (but not loose) integration are independently associated with greater adherence to EBPs. The interaction between HIT adoption and tight integration is negative, consistent with an offsetting association between HIT adoption and integration in their relationship to EBP adherence. This finding reveals the need to be aware of potential substitutive effects from simultaneous pursuit of multiple approaches to performance improvement.