New Research from Harkness Fellows in Health Affairs, BMJ
<p>Two new studies, both co-authored by Commonwealth Fund Harkness Fellows in Health Care Policy, may be of interest to you:<br><br><a href="/cnlib/pub/enews_clickthrough.htm?enews_item_id=20934&return_url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Ecmwf%2Eorg%2Fpublications%2Fpublications%5Fshow%2Ehtm%3Fdoc%5Fid%3D358525%26%23doc358525">No-Fault Compensation in New Zealand: Harmonizing Injury Compensation, Provider Accountability, and Patient Safety</a> (<em>Health Affairs,</em> Jan./Feb. 2006). In this Fund-supported study, former Harkness Fellows Marie Bismark (2004–05) and Ron Paterson (2002–03) compare New Zealand's no-fault compensation system for medical injuries to the malpractice approach in the United States. The authors find New Zealand's Accident Compensation Corporation (ACC) is simple for patients to navigate and produces more-timely decisions for a greater number of patients. However, concerns about the program remain: 30 years after implementation of the ACC, New Zealand's hospitals are no more or less safe than those in other industrialized countries, the study finds.<br><br><a href="/cnlib/pub/enews_clickthrough.htm?enews_item_id=20933&return_url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Ecmwf%2Eorg%2Fpublications%2Fpublications%5Fshow%2Ehtm%3Fdoc%5Fid%3D358517%26%23doc358517">Kaiser Permanente's Experience of Implementing an Electronic Medical Record: A Qualitative Study</a> (<em>BMJ,</em> Dec. 2005). As part of a research team cofunded by the Garfield Foundation and the Fund, J. Tim Scott (Harkness Fellow 2002–03), based at the University of St. Andrews School of Management in Scotland, interviewed doctors, managers, and office staff involved in selecting, testing, and implementing an electronic health record (EHR) system at Kaiser Permanente Hawaii. According to the study, the keys to successful EHR implementation are a participatory selection process, maintaining flexibility in roles and responsibilities, and decisive leadership at critical stages.</p>
http://www.commonwealthfund.org/publications/newsletters/ealerts/2006/feb/new-research-from-harkness-fellows-in-health-affairs--bmj