Impact of Electronic Health Records on Racial and Ethnic Disparities in Blood Pressure Control at US Primary Care Visits

Abstract

Prior literature suggests that practice level characteristics mediate racial/ethnic disparities in clinical outcomes.1 One such practice level characteristic, use of electronic health records (EHRs) with clinical decision support (CDS), has been associated with improved blood pressure (BP) control in a national study.2 However, we do not know whether these effects differ across racial/ethnic groups.3 We sought to determine whether physician use of EHRs with and without CDS is associated with a reduction in racial/ethnic disparities in BP control in a nationally representative sample. Methods We examined data from primary care visits in the 2007-2008 National Ambulatory Medical Care Survey (NAMCS), a nationally representative survey of nonhospital-based ambulatory visits administered by the National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS).4 In a recent article, we examined visits to NAMCS physicians who answered questions about EHRs and electronic guideline-based reminders.2 Primary care . . .