EHRs Are A Tool, Not A Solution: The NYC Primary Care Information Project

Abstract

No one expects a scalpel to perform surgery by itself. Similarly, no one should be surprised by the conclusion of a widely cited article in the January 2013 edition of Health Affairs (“What It Will Take To Achieve The As-Yet-Unfulfilled Promises Of Health Information Technology”) about the unrealized promise of health IT to lower costs and improve care. Electronic health records (EHRs) are a tool, not a solution. But our experience at the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene with the Primary Care Information Project (PCIP) demonstrates that with the proper support, EHRs can be a powerful tool for improving clinical care and managing population health. Now we are about to turn another corner on our journey, to see if we can use the data we collect from New York City EHRs to paint an accurate picture of the population at large. Since 2005, PCIP has helped more than 3,200 providers implement EHRs, and we currently provide assistance to more than 7,700 providers in New York City. Our staff members help with everything from choosing an EHR to billing, coding, and documenting workflows, to assisting providers with navigating the federal EHR incentive program, to reviewing their clinical quality measures and helping them with numerous quality improvement (QI) activities. We are the home of New York City’s Regional Extension Center (REC), one of 62 such centers nationwide that are funded to support primary care providers through the transition to an EHR and help them achieve the federal Meaningful Use standards.