NQF report details how to use EHRs to improve care coordination

The National Quality Forum (NQF) released a report this week with recommendations on how health systems can better leverage electronic health records (EHRs) to improve care coordination. Because patients commonly interact with numerous providers in multiple health care systems and settings, efficiently communicating patient information between patients, caregivers, clinicians, case managers and others through EHRs is critical to coordinating care. The five recommendations are to collect and share standardized data; optimize EHR usability for patients and caregivers; optimize EHR for clinicians; develop novel EHR data elements to improve measurement; and leverage EHR data to fill measurement gaps. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services provided funding to NQF to convene a multi-stakeholder committee to develop the report. (NQF release, 9/20/22)