A study published in the Journal of the American Medical Informatics Association analyzed whether people were more inclined to develop blood clots in the arms and legs depending on their height and weight. The team of researchers at MetroHealth Medical Center and Explorys Inc used a tool which allowed them to view almost one million patient records from various healthcare organizations. Because they were able to view such a vast amount of data, they were able to conclude that obesity was in fact linked to a higher probability of developing blood clots. Not only did they find height and weight were factors, but race and gender were determinants as well.
The technology provided by EHRs is presenting monumental opportunities to researchers. The study published by the Journal of American Medical Informatics Association would have normally taken months, potentially even years, yet it “took 11 weeks and involved only five people working part time.” Being able to complete clinical research online without any human subjects may be able to save researchers time while providing accurate results.
Further details of the study can be found here.