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Exploring hospital-based health information technology functions for patients with Alzheimer’s Disease and related Dementias
Nianyang Wang, Asmaa Albaroudi, Ivy Benjenk, Jie Chen. Preventive Medicine Reports, 2021-06-23
Topic: Amyloid, tau and blood-test diagnosis
This study investigated whether hospital-adopted health information technology (HIT) is associated with a reduction in the frequency of preventable emergency department (ED) visits for patients with Alzheimer's Disease and Related Dementias (ADRD). We used data from the 2015 State Emergency Department Databases, Area Health Resources File, and the American Hospital Association Annual Survey Information Technology Supplement. We employed multivariable logistic regression models to examine the variation of the likelihood of having preventable ED visits by hospitals' adoption of HIT functions and adjusted for patient, hospital, and county-level factors. We focused on hospital-HIT functions related to patient engagement, routine integration and availability of electronic clinical information, frequency of hospital reported use of electronic patient information, and the provision of electronic notification to the patient's primary care provider. Approximately 23% of ADRD patients went to a hospital that often used electronic records from outside providers, and 75% of ADRD patients went to a hospital that provided electronic notification to the patient's primary care provider. Regression results showed that hospital reported use of electronic patient health information from outside providers (OR = 0.88; p < 0.001), provision of electronic notification to the patient's primary care physician inside and outside of the system (OR = 0.91; p = 0.013), and hospital-HIT patient engagement functionalities (OR = 0.90; p < 0.001) were associated with significantly lower preventable ED visit rates. The results of our study suggest that certain types of HIT functionalities may be useful for reducing preventable ED visits for ADRD patients.
Key findings
- This study investigated whether hospital-adopted health information technology (HIT) is associated with a reduction in the frequency of preventable emergency department (ED) visits for patients with Alzheimer's Disease and Related Dementias (ADRD).
- Regression results showed that hospital reported use of electronic patient health information from outside providers (OR = 0.88; p < 0.001), provision of electronic notification to the patient's primary care physician inside and outside of the system (OR = 0.91; p = 0.013), and hospital-HIT patient engagement functionalities (OR = 0.90; p < 0.001) were associated with significantly lower preventable ED visit rates.
- The results of our study suggest that certain types of HIT functionalities may be useful for reducing preventable ED visits for ADRD patients.
Why it matters
Hospitals that used electronic patient health information from outside providers and sent electronic notifications to primary care providers had fewer preventable emergency department visits by patients with Alzheimer's disease and related dementias. This is about hospital information technology and emergency visits, not about treating, curing, or preventing the disease itself.
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Study details
- Effect sizeOR = 0.88; OR = 0.91; OR = 0.90
- Evidence strengthLow
How this study scored 37/100
Published in a peer-reviewed journal. Scored zero for study design, sample size, studied in people and randomised / blinded because the record does not state it.
| Component | Points | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Journal tier | 7 / 10 | Tier 3 — peer-reviewed journal (Preventive Medicine Reports) |
| Journal's citation record | 1 / 4 | Preventive Medicine Reports: journal h-index 82 (OpenAlex, 2026-10-29) |
| Study design | 0 / 12 | No study design recorded — scores zero, not guessed (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Strength of evidence | 1 / 5 | Rated “low” in our summary |
| Peer-review validation | 10 / 10 | Peer-reviewed. Published as an article in a named peer-reviewed journal. |
| How recent | 3 / 5 | 2021 — within 6 year(s) of the newest study here |
| Sample size | 0 / 4 | Participant count not stated — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Effect reported | 3 / 3 | Effect reported with a statistic (interval, p-value, ratio or similar) |
| Studied in people | 0 / 3 | Not stated whether this was studied in people — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Randomised / blinded | 0 / 2 | No randomisation or blinding stated — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Times cited | 2 / 7 | Cited 7 times (OpenAlex, 2026-10-10) |
| Citations per year | 1 / 5 | 1.0 citations a year over 7 year(s) since 2021 |
| Impact for its field and year | 2 / 6 | Cited 1.3× the average for papers of its field and year (OpenAlex FWCI) |
| Cited by studies here | 0 / 6 | No other study in this library cites it |
| Still being cited | 1 / 4 | Cited 3 times in 2024–2026 (2026 still in progress; OpenAlex) |
| Senior author's track record | 1 / 4 | Last-listed author Jie Chen: h-index 16 (OpenAlex, whole career) |
| Institution's track record | 1 / 3 | University of Maryland, College Park: institution h-index 1,338 (OpenAlex) |
| Multi-centre collaboration | 0 / 3 | OpenAlex lists 1 institution(s) in 1 country — scores zero (affiliation lists can be incomplete) |
| Indexed in PubMed | 2 / 2 | Indexed in PubMed (PMID 34258173) |
| Free to read | 2 / 2 | Free to read |
| Total | 37 / 100 | — |
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Read the original
- DOI: 10.1016/j.pmedr.2021.101459
- PubMed: 34258173
- Original source →
- Free full text: Preventive Medicine Reports →
Full text: free to read — OpenAlex lists this copy as free to read: the link above (checked 6 Feb 1020).
Cite this study APA, Vancouver, BibTeX · download .bib or .ris
Built from the record alzhub holds for this paper, not looked up. Volume, issue and page numbers are not held in the record. Check the citation against the original before you use it.
APA 7th
Wang, N., Albaroudi, A., Benjenk, I., & Chen, J. (2021). Exploring hospital-based health information technology functions for patients with Alzheimer’s Disease and related Dementias. Preventive Medicine Reports. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pmedr.2021.101459
Vancouver
Wang N, Albaroudi A, Benjenk I, Chen J. Exploring hospital-based health information technology functions for patients with Alzheimer’s Disease and related Dementias. Preventive Medicine Reports. 2021. doi:10.1016/j.pmedr.2021.101459. PMID: 34258173.
BibTeX
@article{wang2021-34258173,
author = {Wang, Nianyang and Albaroudi, Asmaa and Benjenk, Ivy and Chen, Jie},
title = {{Exploring hospital-based health information technology functions for patients with Alzheimer’s Disease and related Dementias}},
journal = {Preventive Medicine Reports},
year = {2021},
doi = {10.1016/j.pmedr.2021.101459},
pmid = {34258173},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pmedr.2021.101459}
}
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