Another Reason to Implement an EMR

In the past, analyses of the benefits of EMR implementation focused primarily on increased efficiency, improved patient care, and lower costs—but EMRs offer much more than that, according to a recent study by a health care IT leader.

Now there’s one more reason to implement an electronic medical record (EMR) system: They have compelling environmental effects, including the reduction of greenhouse gases.

According to a study by Kaiser Permanente published in the May issue of Health Affairs, EMRs could lower U.S. carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions by as much as 1.7 million tons.

The study began with a Kaiser Permanente analysis of how that health system, which serves more than 8.7 million members, helped the environment by operating the world’s largest private EMR, Kaiser Permanente HealthConnect. According to the analysis, Kaiser Permanente’s use of an EMR reduced paper use by 1,044 tons per year, and digitizing and archiving x-ray images and other scans reduced the use of toxic chemicals (including silver nitrate and hydroquinone) by 33.3 tons per year. Other compelling statistics: Filling prescriptions online reduced CO2 emissions by 7,000 tons, and reducing travel with virtual visits reduced CO2 emissions by 92,000 tons. The environmental savings were compelling even when energy use from the increase in personal computers was factored in.

From that analysis, Kaiser Permanente developed a model to evaluate the environmental impact of EMRs in general. That model looks at six categories of environmental impact within health care to examine those most directly related to EMRs. “As the country increases its meaningful use of HIT, we should consider other macro impacts as well,” said one Kaiser Permanente official.