Process in Ambulatory Care: A Controlled Clinical Trial of Computerized Records

We implemented a controlled study of computerized ambulatory records compared with traditional paper charts. This paper reports the effect of a computer health care maintenance reminder system on compliance with recommended preventive health care maneuvers. Medical residents who had access to computerized records and reminders did significantly more hemoccult tests, proctosigmoidoscopy and influenza vaccinations than residents using paper records. The attending physician staffing the resident also had a profound but independent effect on whether preventive care was delivered. These results show that computerized records can improve the process of medical care.