Using Electronic Health Record Data for Occupational Therapy Health Services Research: Invited Commentary

Document Type

Journal Article

Publication Date

4-15-2024

Journal

OTJR : occupation, participation and health

DOI

10.1177/15394492241246544

Keywords

functional outcomes; knowledge translation; rehabilitation

Abstract

Health services research (HSR) is a field of study that examines how social factors, financing systems, organizational structures and processes, health technologies, and personal behaviors affect access to health care, the quality and cost of health care, and health and well-being. HSR approaches can help build the occupational therapy evidence base, particularly in relation to population health. Data from electronic health record (EHR) systems provide a rich resource for applying HSR approaches to examine the value of occupational therapy services. Transparency about data preparation procedures is important for interpreting results. Based on our findings, we describe a six-step cleaning protocol for preparing EHR and billing data from an inpatient rehabilitation facility for research and provide recommendations for the field based on our experience. Using and reporting similar strategies across studies will improve efficiency and transparency, and facilitate comparability of results.

Department

Clinical Research and Leadership

Link to Full Text

Share

COinS