The electronic medical record management systems may improve monitoring and control of disease activity in patients with ankylosing spondylitis

Abstract

To investigate the impact of an electronic medical record management system (EMRMS) on disease activity and the frequency of outpatient visits among patients with ankylosing spondylitis (AS). We identified 652 patients with AS who were followed up for at least 1 year before and after the first Ankylosing Spondylitis Disease Activity Score (ASDAS) assessment and compared the number of outpatient visits and average visit time within 1 year before and after the initial ASDAS assessment. Finally, we analyzed 201 patients with AS who had complete data and received ≥ 3 continuous ASDAS assessments at an interval of 3 months, and we compared the results of the second and third ASDAS assessments with those of the first. The number of annual outpatient visits increased after ASDAS assessment (4.0 (4.0, 7.0) vs. 4.0 (4.0, 8.0), p < 0.001), particularly among those with a high initial disease activity. The average visit time was reduced within 1 year after ASDAS assessment (6.4 (8.5, 11.2) vs. 6.3 (8.3, 10.8) min, p = 0.073), especially among patients whose with an inactive disease activity was < 1.3 (ASDAS C-reactive protein (CRP) 6.7 (8.8, 11.1) vs. 6.1 (8.0, 10.3) min, p = 0.033; ASDAS erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) 6.4 (8.7, 11.1) vs. 6.1 (8.1, 10.0) min, p = 0.027). Among patients who received at least three ASDAS assessments, the third ASDAS-CRP tended to be lower than the first (1.5 (0.9, 2.1) vs. 1.4 (0.8, 1.9), p = 0.058). The use of an EMRMS increased the frequency of ambulatory visits among AS patients with high and very high disease activity and reduced the visit time among those with an inactive disease. Continual ASDAS assessments may help control the disease activity of patients with AS.

Recordkeeping Requirements for Private Health Facilities and Services: The statutory perspectives

“…Previous studies mainly focused on the impacts and applications of records for services, work efficiency, and organizational objectives, as indicated by Tracey et al, (2023); Farrell et al, (2023); Lawan & Henttonen (2023) ;Chandler, (2022). Huang et al, (2023); Haraldsdottir et al, (2023), on the other hand, focused on the application of certain methods and technologies on specific scenarios and during constraint and limitation (Wendelken, 2023). Studies determining the ambit and applying statutory law on recordkeeping are the least conducted.…”

“…Records are legal documentation (Smith, 2016) that preserves organizations' corporate memory. They do not merely support evidencebased decision-making and executions but also document rights and responsibilities, provide proof of transaction, and establish rights and responsibilities between parties (Huang et al, 2023). Thus, records become the official instrument to show compliance with legal requirements and considerations set by statutory provisions (Skupsky,1990).…”