Disability documentation in the EHR can improve care quality

"Standardized EHR structure, in addition to facilitating documentation, ensures that we consistently address and accommodate the full spectrum of disabilities that patients may have, including disabilities that are invisible," she continued. It is also vital, she said, for any additions to be communicated to patient care teams, noting that federal policies – such as including disability in meaningful use criteria for EHRs – tying standardized completion to hospital incentives would likely improve data input. "We should appraise the section of disability status in a patient’s EHR as we do all sections of a thorough history – each is a fluid and important element of the patient’s identity that requires prime screen space and time for active patient-clinician discussion in the health record and clinical encounter, respectively," she said. Still, she said, documentation availability and standardization could enable discussions about assistive technologies or accommodations for individual patients, facilitate value-based care and create research opportunities centering the disability community. "Implementing standard documentation of disability in the EHR can thus centralize our efforts to better our care for patients with disabilities.