Summary: | The implementation of Electronic Medical Records (EMRs) may lead to improved quality of primary health care. To investigate this, we conducted a mixed methods study of eighteen Toronto family physicians who implemented EMRs in 2006 and nine comparison family physicians who continued to use paper records. We used a controlled before-after design and two focus groups. We examined five preventive services with Pay for Performance incentives: Pap smears, screening mammograms, fecal occult blood testing, influenza vaccinations and childhood vaccinations.
There was no difference between the two groups: after adjustment, combined preventive services for the EMR group increased by 0.7% less than for the non-EMR group (p=0.55, 95% CI -2.8, 3.9). Physicians felt that EMR implementation was challenging.
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