The primary method that doctors and hospitals use to track patient health history is failing to capture critical behavior and mental health data.
A study released in April by the Harvard Pilgrim Health Care Institute compared the electronic health records (EHRs) to the insurance claims of some 5,500 patients.
The focus of the study was on patients with depression or bipolar disorder who received care from Harvard Vanguard Medical Associates, part of Atrius Health.
The research is a collaborative effort between Harvard Pilgrim Health Care and Harvard Medical School’s Department of Population Medicine.
Physicians and medical institutions use EHRs to record checkups, lab results, ER visits, and other crucial health information.
Researchers say the EHRs analyzed in the report showed significant gaps in behavioral and mental health patient records.
Experts who spoke to Healthline about the study say the findings reveal as much about the fractured nature of healthcare IT technology as it does the fractured approach to healthcare in the United States.
[For more of this story, written by Carolyn Abate, go to http://www.healthline.com/heal...electronic-records#1]
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