These results suggest several limitations to the generalizability of the CHF CM-improved outcome link in a heterogeneous setting. One explanation is that the lack of coordinated system supports and varied accessibility to care in an extended, nonnetworked physician setting limits the effectiveness of the CM.

ABSTRACT:The evidence base of what works in chronic care management programs is underdeveloped. To fill the gap, we pooled and reanalyzed data from ten randomized clinical trials of heart failure care management programs to discern how program delivery methods contribute to patient outcomes. We found that patients enrolled in programs using multidisciplinary teams and in programs using in-person communication had significantly fewer hospital readmissions and readmission days than routine care patients had. Our study offers policymakers and health plan administrators important guideposts for developing an evidence base on which to build effective policy and programmatic initiatives for chronic care management.

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Background: Although reading ability may impact educational strategies and management of heart failure (HF), the prevalence of limited literacy in patients with HF is unknown.

The implementation of an electronic health record is a dramatic change in a healthcare organization; however, little is known about how nurse attitudes toward the electronic health record change over time. The purpose of this research project was to compare nurses' attitudes before and at 6 and 18 months after implementation of a comprehensive electronic health record. A presurvey-postsurvey design using a modified Nurses' Attitudes Toward Computerization Questionnaire was implemented with a population of nurses employed at an academic medical center. On average, the nurses' attitude about the electronic health record became less positive between preimplementation (n = 312) and 6 months after implementation (n = 410) (74.2 vs 65.9, P < .0001) and preimplementation and 18 months after implementation (n = 262) groups (74.2 vs 67.7, P < .0001). No significant improvement between 6 and 18 months after implementation groups (P = .16) was noted. Prior to electronic health record implementation, the nurses were uncertain yet hopeful about the benefits. However, 18 months after implementing a comprehensive electronic health record, challenges remain regarding cumbersome documentation processes and promoting interdisciplinary communication. Thus, the results demonstrate a gap between preimplementation expectations and the postimplementation reality of the actual experience. Nonetheless, some subjects have experienced positive benefits after implementation of the comprehensive electronic health record and remain hopeful for the future.

Implementation of an electronic health record has multiple facility-wide challenges affecting all direct care providers. Because the dialysis unit and emergency department had already undergone transition with differing electronic systems several years before, could anything be learned from these past experiences to inform the future institution-wide implementation? Utilizing focus groups and surveys, recurring themes emerged: "It will take one hundred charts"; allowing for "self-discovery" of individual learning progression; establishing and communicating "clear processes" for use of the electronic record; and ensuring adequate support to facilitate a "customer-focused" approach in learning how to utilize electronic documentation. Although training related to the electronic health record was discussed in all focus groups, training was not described as a main concern, which challenged our initial presumptions that education was the key resource for a successful change. Three of the four themes uncovered in this study are not unique and corroborate the findings in other studies. "Clear processes" is a new theme not previously identified. These themes with recommendations were presented to the electronic health record design team to assist with the hospital-wide implementation.

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