| This study examines the effects of health information technology (IT) on nursing staff efficiency. Specifically, the impact of clinical health IT applications on nursing staff efficiency is considered, along with the impact of health information exchange on nursing staff efficiency in those facilities with that utilize clinical IT. In an effort to elucidate these effects, I use data from the 2010 National Survey of Residential Care Facilities (NSRCF) to estimate six ordered logit models. The results indicate that clinical IT sophistication is positively associated with registered nurse (RN) HPPD. The effect on licensed practical nurses (LPN)/licensed vocational nurses (LVN) and personal care aides is not statistically significant. Further, the results indicate that information exchange sophistication is positively associated with LPN/LVN HPPD. The effect of information exchange capabilities on RNs and personal care aides is not significant. The findings in this newly-studied setting are contrary to those found in other care settings. Potential reasons for this are discussed, along with limitations of the study and suggestions for future research. |
