When clinicians are asked if a patient’s case they’re managing has a corresponding care guideline, the answer is usually “no.” As those in medicine can attest, only about 20% of patients are linked to a standard care guideline. Pair that with the fact that just shy of 20% of existing care guidelines are backed by high-quality evidence, and we arrive at a shocking conclusion: Roughly only 4% of the patient care situations a doctor must manage have guidance derived from randomized, controlled clinical trials. In other words, research is almost always lacking.
How Medical Records Can Close the Information Gap in Patient Care
New services are using research data and anonymized medical records to identify ways to treat conditions that lack care guidelines.
May 17, 2023
Summary.
In dealing with many cases, doctors lack comparative real-time evidence and are forced to make decisions in spite of unknown variables that can dramatically alter outcomes. Such evidence gaps happen every day, particularly for patients with multiple conditions, complex medical histories, and diverse ethnic backgrounds. Breakthroughs in academic research, including a major project at Stanford University School of Medicine, have led to technological innovations that allow clinicians to generate on-demand evidence drawn from research data and anonymized medical records, bridging the evidence gap so doctors can make informed decisions that improve outcomes.
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Accelerate your career with Harvard ManageMentor®. HBR Learning’s online leadership training helps you hone your skills with courses like Innovation and Creativity. Earn badges to share on LinkedIn and your resume. Access more than 40 courses trusted by Fortune 500 companies.
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