Articles
The Financial Impact Of An Emergency Department Information System
November 30, 2009
•Article: The Financial Impact Of An Emergency Department Information System
By Michael Hocker, M.D., F.A.C.E.P., Duke University Medical Center
Emergency department information systems (EDIS) are appearing in more and more emergency departments (EDs), and their many features make them useful tools. The cost of these systems can impact purchasing and implementation decisions; determining their prospective ROI, however, can be difficult.
For the busy academic teaching ED at Duke University Medical Center, implementing an EDIS, such as the one offered by Wellsoft Corporation, produced a positive financial impact. After patient tracking, physician and nurse documentation, and billing interface were implemented, multiple financial impacts were observed. Some of these impacts have direct quantifiable effects that can be measured to determine ROI, while others are more ambiguous and have an indirect and qualitative impact. The most obvious and easiest ROI to quantify is the revenue generated by improved charge capture associated with use of template-driven documentation. Also, the time spent by providers performing functions such as order entry, documentation, retrieving ancillary studies, prescription writing, discharge instructions, and follow-up can be substantially reduced with an EDIS. One unexpected result that has a significant ROI is the decrease in physician turnover time at the end of a shift. Overall, the use of an EDIS has realized a positive ROI, allowing the hospital to recover costs associated with the purchasing, implementation, and support of the system.
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