Fragmentation of Diabetes Treatment in Austria - an Indicator for the Need for Shared Electronic Health Record Systems

Shared electronic health record (EHR) systems aim to support continuity of care within the joint treatment of a patient by a community of cooperating care providers. By analyzing the fragmentation of care of Austrian diabetes patients, we aim to find evidence whether there is actually a need for shared EHR systems in this context. Our results show that almost three quarters of the observed diabetes patients visit two or more different care providers during their diabetes-related visits. Overall, our findings strongly support the demand for shared EHR systems for the treatment of diabetes patients.