--- title: "Electronic health records and COVID-19 pandemic response | Sutter Health" description: "Lessons learned from the COVID-19 pandemic can result in the formation of collaborative teams: clinical operations, informatics, data analytics, and research." url: "https://www.sutterhealth.org/research/publications/electronic-health-records-covid-19-pandemic-response-1055312813" --- 1. [Home](https://www.sutterhealth.org/) / 2. [Research](https://www.sutterhealth.org/research) / 3. [Research publications](https://www.sutterhealth.org/research/publications) / 4. Electronic health records and COVID-19 pandemic response # Mind the clinical-analytic gap: electronic health records and COVID-19 pandemic response Sylvia Ek Sudat, Sarah C Robinson, Satish Mudiganti, Aravind Mani, & Alice R Pressman _J Biomed Inform.103715. doi: 10.1016/j.jbi.2021.103715. Online ahead of print._ 2021-02-18 ## Abstract Data quality is essential to the success of the most simple and the most complex analysis. In the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, large-scale data sharing across the US and around the world has played an important role in public health responses to the pandemic and has been crucial to understanding and predicting its likely course. In California, hospitals have been required to report a large volume of daily data related to COVID-19. In order to meet this need, electronic health records (EHRs) have played an important role, but the challenges of reporting high-quality data in real-time from EHR data sources have not been explored. We describe some of the challenges of utilizing EHR data for this purpose from the perspective of a large, integrated, mixed-payer health system in northern California, US. We emphasize some of the inadequacies inherent in EHR data using several specific examples, and explore the clinical-analytic gap that forms the basis for some of these inadequacies. We highlight the need for data and analytics to be incorporated into the early stages of clinical crisis planning in order to utilize EHR data to full advantage. We further propose that lessons learned from the COVID-19 pandemic can result in the formation of collaborative teams joining clinical operations, informatics, data analytics, and research, ultimately resulting in improved data quality to support effective crisis response. [PubMed abstract](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33610878/) ![Sylvia Sudat, Ph.D.](https://dyn.mktgcdn.com/p/2AHRaDJwevdbwzC2ecrwY3nYIxbiqxd9NbpxBlI8Kpk/fit=crop,gravity=auto,dpr=2,width=188,height=250,quality=100) Sylvia Sudat, Ph.D. Principal investigator [View profile](https://www.sutterhealth.org/research/investigators/sylvia-sudat-phd-1049681027) ## Research topics - [COVID-19](https://www.sutterhealth.org/research-search-results?query=%22%5C%22COVID-19%5C%22%22) - [EHR Data](https://www.sutterhealth.org/research-search-results?query=%22%5C%22EHR+Data%5C%22%22) - [Quality Improvement](https://www.sutterhealth.org/research-search-results?query=%22%5C%22Quality+Improvement%5C%22%22) ## Related publications [View all publications](https://www.sutterhealth.org/research-search-results?verticalKey=research_publication) - Publication ### [Relationships and resilience at work and at home: Impact of relational coordination on clinician work-life balance and well-being in times of crisis](https://www.sutterhealth.org/research/publications/relationships-resilience-impact-of-relational-coordination-on-clinician-work-life-balance-1055312859) Health Care Management Review 2022 Oct 21 - Publication ### [Racial Disparities in Pulse Oximeter Device Inaccuracy and Estimated Clinical Impact on COVID-19 Treatment Course](https://www.sutterhealth.org/research/publications/racial-disparities-pulse-oximeter-device-covid-19-1055312833) Sudat SEK, Wesson P, Rhoads KF, et al.Racial Disparities in Pulse Oximeter Device Inaccuracy and Estimated Clinical Impact on COVID-19 Treatment Course Am J Epidemiol. 2023;192(5):703-713. doi:10.1093/aje/kwac164 2022 Sep 29 - Publication ### [Measuring and promoting SARS-CoV-2 vaccine equity: development of a COVID-19 vaccine equity index](https://www.sutterhealth.org/research/publications/measuring-promoting-sars-cov-2-vaccine-equity-1055312863) Alice R Pressman, Stephen H Lockhart, Zijun Shen, Kristen M J Azar Health Equity.;5(1):476-483. doi: 10.1089/heq.2021.0047. eCollection 2021. 2021 Jul 13 - Publication ### [The learning health system in crisis: lessons from the novel coronavirus disease pandemic](https://www.sutterhealth.org/research/publications/lessons-from-the-novel-coronavirus-disease-pandemic-1055312887) Robert J Romanelli, Kristen M J Azar, Sylvia Sudat, Dorothy Hung, Dominick L Frosch, Alice R Pressman Mayo Clin Proc Innov Qual Outcomes. doi: 10.1016/j.mayocpiqo.2020.10.004. Online ahead of print 2020 Oct 29 - Publication ### [Disparities among racially/ethnically marginalized groups in the COVID-19 pandemic persist regardless of statewide shelter-in-place policies: an analysis from northern california](https://www.sutterhealth.org/research/publications/disparities-among-marginalized-groups-in-covid-19-pandemic-1055312827) Kristen M J Azar, Stephen H Lockhart, Zijun Shen, Robert Romanelli, Stephanie Brown, Kelly Smits, Alice R Pressman Am J Epidemiol: kwab191. doi: 10.1093/aje/kwab191. Online ahead of print. 2021 Jul 02 [View all publications](https://www.sutterhealth.org/research-search-results?verticalKey=research_publication) ```json {"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"MedicalOrganization","name":"Sutter Health","@id":"https://www.sutterhealth.org/#medicalorganization","url":"https://www.sutterhealth.org","logo":"https://www.sutterhealth.org/static/images/sutter-health-logo.svg","address":{"@type":"PostalAddress","streetAddress":"2200 River Plaza Drive","addressLocality":"Sacramento","addressRegion":"CA","postalCode":"95833","addressCountry":"US"},"areaServed":{"@type":"AdministrativeArea","name":"California"},"sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/SutterHealth","https://www.instagram.com/sutterhealth/","https://x.com/SutterHealth","https://www.youtube.com/sutterhealth","https://www.linkedin.com/company/sutter-health","https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sutter_Health"]} ``` ```json {"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https://www.sutterhealth.org/research/publications/electronic-health-records-covid-19-pandemic-response-1055312813#breadcrumblist","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https://www.sutterhealth.org/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Research","item":"https://www.sutterhealth.org/research"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"name":"Research publications","item":"https://www.sutterhealth.org/research/publications"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":4,"name":"Electronic health records and COVID-19 pandemic response"}]} ``` ```json {"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"MedicalScholarlyArticle","@id":"https://www.sutterhealth.org/research/publications/electronic-health-records-covid-19-pandemic-response-1055312813#medicalscholarlyarticle","name":"Mind the clinical-analytic gap: electronic health records and COVID-19 pandemic response","headline":"Electronic health records and COVID-19 pandemic response","abstract":"Data quality is essential to the success of the most simple and the most complex analysis. In the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, large-scale data sharing across the US and around the world has played an important role in public health responses to the pandemic and has been crucial to understanding and predicting its likely course. In California, hospitals have been required to report a large volume of daily data related to COVID-19. In order to meet this need, electronic health records (EHRs) have played an important role, but the challenges of reporting high-quality data in real-time from EHR data sources have not been explored. We describe some of the challenges of utilizing EHR data for this purpose from the perspective of a large, integrated, mixed-payer health system in northern California, US. We emphasize some of the inadequacies inherent in EHR data using several specific examples, and explore the clinical-analytic gap that forms the basis for some of these inadequacies. 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