The U.S. Department of Health & Human Services' Office of Inspector General has approved of a proposed arrangement between a technology vendor and hospitals that would use a "limited electronic health record" to improve patients' compliance with their discharge plans, and hopefully reduce excessive hospitals readmissions. The vendor would sell hospitals a package of services, such as patient support hotlines, for patients designated for the services, and the limited EHR would contain only the patient's discharge plan and related information, which would be shared with members of the patient's extended care team designated by the patient.
OIG said that the arrangement likely would not to lead to increased costs or overutilization of federal health program services, nor would it interfere with clinical decision making. Advisory opinion (.pdf)