MetroHealth Connection
Electronic medical records better than paper for patients’ health
 Think paper medical records are just as good as electronic ones? Think again.
MetroHealth's Dr. Randall Cebul found in a recent study published in the New England Journal of Medicine that 51% of patients with electronic medical records met four national standards for quality care, compared to just 7% of patients with paper records.
The study involving more than 27,000 adults with diabetes found that those in physician practices using EHRs were significantly more likely to have health care and outcomes that align with accepted standards than those where doctors rely on paper records.
 The study’s findings remained consistent for patients regardless of insurance type, including the uninsured as well as patients insured by Medicare, Medicaid, and commercial payers.
The research involved more than 500 primary care physicians in 46 practices that are partners in a region-wide collaborative known as Better Health Greater Cleveland, which is headquartered at MetroHealth Medical Center and led by Dr. Cebul.
This alliance of providers, businesses and other stakeholders is dedicated to enhancing the value of care for patients with chronic medical conditions in the region.
MetroHealth was the second northeast Ohio hospital system – the first was the Veterans Administration – to fully implement an EMR system.
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