Impact of digital health on the quadruple aims of healthcare: A correlational and longitudinal study (Digimat Study).

Background: Digital healthcare aims to deliver on the quadruple aim: enhance patient experiences, improve population health, reduce costs and improve provider experiences. Despite large investments, it is unclear how advancing digital health enables these healthcare aims.

Objective: Our objectives were to: 1) measure the correlation between digital capability and health system outcomes mapped to the quadruple aim, and 2) measure the longitudinal impact of electronic medical record implementations upon health system outcomes.

Materials And Methods: We undertook two studies: 1) Digital health correlational study investigating the association among healthcare system capability and healthcare aims, and 2) Digital hospital longitudinal study investigating outcomes pre and post electronic medical record implementation.

Results: Digital health capability was associated with lower staff turnover. Digitising healthcare services was associated with decreased medication errors, decreased nosocomial infections, increased hospital activity, and a transient increase in staff leave.

Discussion: These results suggest positive impacts on the population health and healthcare costs aim, minimal impacts on the provider experience aim and no observed impacts to the patient experience aim.

Conclusion: These findings should provide confidence to healthcare decision-makers investing in digital health.