Effect of electronic records on mortality among patients in hospital and primary healthcare settings: a systematic review and meta-analyses.

Background: Electronic medical records or electronic health records, collectively called electronic records, have significantly transformed the healthcare system and service provision in our world. Despite a number of primary studies on the subject, reports are inconsistent and contradictory about the effects of electronic records on mortality. Therefore, this review examined the effect of electronic records on mortality.

Methods: The review followed the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyses 2020 guideline. Six databases: PubMed, EMBASE, Scopus, CINAHL, Cochrane Library, and Google Scholar, were searched from February 20 to October 25, 2023. Studies that assessed the effect of electronic records on mortality and were published between 1998 and 2022 were included. Joanna Briggs Institute quality appraisal tool was used to assess the methodological quality of the studies. Narrative synthesis was performed to identify patterns across studies. Meta-analysis was conducted using fixed effect and random-effects models to estimate the pooled effect of electronic records on mortality. Funnel plot and Egger's regression test were used to assess for publication bias.

Results: Fifty-four papers were found eligible for the systematic review, of which 42 were included in the meta-analyses. Of the 32 studies that assessed the effect of electronic health record on mortality, eight (25.00%) reported a statistically significant reduction in mortality, 22 (68.75%) did not show a statistically significant difference, and two (6.25%) studies reported an increased risk of mortality. Similarly, among the 22 studies that determined the effect of electronic medical record on mortality, 12 (54.55%) reported a statistically significant reduction in mortality, and ten (45.45%) studies didn't show a statistically significant difference. The fixed effect and random effects on mortality were OR = 0.95 (95% CI: 0.93-0.97) and OR = 0.94 (95% CI: 0.89-0.99), respectively. The associated I-squared was 61.5%. Statistical tests indicated that there was no significant publication bias among the studies included in the meta-analysis.

Conclusion: Despite some heterogeneity among the studies, the review indicated that the implementation of electronic records in inpatient, specialized and intensive care units, and primary healthcare facilities seems to result in a statistically significant reduction in mortality. Maturity level and specific features may have played important roles.

Systematic review registration: PROSPERO (CRD42023437257).