Physicians Voluntarily Using an EHR-Based CDS Tool Improved Patients' Guideline-Related Statin Prescription Rates: A Retrospective Cohort Study

Provider Perceptions of an Electronic Health Record Prostate Cancer Screening Tool

OBJECTIVES

 We conducted a focus group to assess the attitudes of primary care physicians (PCPs) toward prostate-specific antigen (PSA)-screening algorithms, perceptions of using decision support tools, and features that would make such tools feasible to implement.

METHODS

 A multidisciplinary team (primary care, urology, behavioral sciences, bioinformatics) developed the decision support tool that was presented to a focus group of 10 PCPs who also filled out a survey. Notes and audio-recorded transcripts were analyzed using Thematic Content Analysis.

RESULTS

 The survey showed that PCPs followed different guidelines. In total, 7/10 PCPs agreed that engaging in shared decision-making about PSA screening was burdensome. The majority (9/10) had never used a decision aid for PSA screening. Although 70% of PCPs felt confident about their ability to discuss PSA screening, 90% still felt a need for a provider-facing platform to assist in these discussions. Three major themes emerged: (1) confirmatory reactions regarding the importance, innovation, and unmet need for a decision support tool embedded in the electronic health record; (2) issues around implementation and application of the tool in clinic workflow and PCPs' own clinical bias; and (3) attitudes/reflections regarding discrepant recommendations from various guideline groups that cause confusion.

CONCLUSION

 There was overwhelmingly positive support for the need for a provider-facing decision support tool to assist with PSA-screening decisions in the primary care setting. PCPs appreciated that the tool would allow flexibility for clinical judgment and documentation of shared decision-making. Incorporation of suggestions from this focus group into a second version of the tool will be used in subsequent pilot testing.

Factors Associated With Primary Care Physician Decision-making When Making Medication Recommendations vs Surgical Referrals

IMPORTANCE

Although objective data are used routinely in prescription drug recommendations, it is unclear how referring physicians apply evidence when making surgeon or hospital recommendations for surgery.

OBJECTIVE

To compare the factors associated with the hospital or surgeon referral decision-making process with that used for prescription medication recommendations.

DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS

This qualitative study comprised interviews conducted between April 26 and May 18, 2021, of a purposive sample of 21 primary care physicians from a large primary care network in the Northeast US.

MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES

Main outcomes were the factors considered when making prescription medication recommendations vs referral recommendations to specific surgeons or hospitals for surgery.

RESULTS

All 21 participant primary care physicians (14 women [66.7%]) reported use of evidence-based decision support tools and patient attributes for prescription medication recommendations. In contrast, for surgeon and hospital referral recommendations, primary care physicians relied on professional experience and training, personal beliefs about surgical quality, and perceived convenience. Primary care physicians cited perceived limitations of existing data on surgical quality as a barrier to the use of such data in the process of making surgical referrals.

CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE

As opposed to the widespread use of objective decision support tools for guidance on medication recommendations, primary care physicians relied on subjective factors when making referrals to specific surgeons and hospitals. The findings of this study highlight the potential to improve surgical outcomes by introducing accessible, reliable data as an imperative step in the surgical referral process.

Progression of precision statin prescribing for reduction of statin-associated muscle symptoms

Background: Statins are among the most commonly prescribed medications, and improve patient outcomes by lowering cholesterol levels, but also have side effects. Variations in statin response can be attributed to a handful of factors that include pharmacogenetics. Methods: While not a true review article, this work was written using various search engines and terms and previous and newly published Clinical Pharmacogenetics Implementation Consortium (CPIC) guidelines for statins to provide a historical perspective in addition to the current status of statin-related pharmacogenetics and future perspectives. Results: This article provides historical background on statins and associated adverse effects, reviews pharmacogenetic implications, applies clinical-decision support, incorporates the latest CPIC guidelines and addresses future implications. Conclusion: Statins are a beneficial medication, but not without risk. Pharmacogenomics can help mitigate some risk factors. Clinical-decision support, implementation, research and guidelines will continue to influence statin prescribing.

Therapeutic Inertia in Prescribing Biologics for Patients with Moderate-to-Severe Asthma: Workshop Summary

Moderate-to-severe asthma represents about a quarter of the nearly 10% of Americans diagnosed with asthma. Many patients with moderate-to-severe asthma have uncontrolled symptoms that lead to exacerbations requiring oral corticosteroids. There are many factors contributing to poor asthma control, including poor adherence to prescribed therapies, the under-prescribing of biologics and therapeutic inertia. We convened an eight-member panel from fields of primary care, pulmonology, immunology, health services and clinical research, behavioral science and pharmaceutical medical affairs, with the goal of identifying contributing factors and solutions to therapeutic inertia with asthma biologics. We used the Capability, Opportunity, and Motivation (COM-B) model to classify patient and provider behavior towards therapeutic inertia. The model incorporates existing behavior theories and is driven by the interaction of capability, opportunity, and motivation. We used a Delphi method to identify and develop six primary solutions: 1) integration of patient-centered outcomes into asthma management practice; 2) provider education about asthma treatment; 3) moderate-to-severe asthma care delivery redesign; 4) harmonized, evidence-based protocol for the management of moderate-to-severe asthma; 5) designated coordinator approach for optimal asthma management; and 6) a case coordination digital support tool. Integration of patient-centered outcomes into asthma management practice and provider education were identified as having the highest potential to impact therapeutic and clinical inertia. The COM-B model is effective in identifying improvement within therapeutic inertia targeting the capabilities, opportunities, and motivations of patients, providers, and payer systems.

Reducing Inappropriate Outpatient Medication Prescribing in Older Adults across Electronic Health Record Systems

BACKGROUND

The American Geriatrics Society recommends against the use of certain potentially inappropriate medications (PIMs) in older adults. Prescribing of these medications correlates with higher rates of hospital readmissions, morbidity, and mortality. Vanderbilt University Medical Center previously deployed clinical decision support (CDS) to decrease PIM prescribing rates, but recently transitioned to a new electronic health record (EHR).

OBJECTIVE

The goal of this study was to evaluate PIM prescribing rates for older adults before and after migration to the new EHR system.

METHODS

We reviewed prescribing rates of PIMs in adults 65 years and older, normalized per 100 total prescriptions from the legacy and new EHR systems between July 1, 2014 and December 31, 2019. The PIM prescribing rates before and after EHR migration during November 2017 were compared using a U-chart and Poisson regression model. Secondary analysis descriptively evaluated the frequency of prescriber acceptance rates in the new EHR.

RESULTS

Prescribing rates of PIMs decreased 5.2% (13.5 per 100 prescriptions to 12.8 per 100 prescriptions; p < 0.0001) corresponding to the implementation of alternatives CDS in the legacy EHR. After migration of the alternative CDS from the legacy to the new EHR system, PIM prescribing rates dropped an additional 18.8% (10.4 per 100 prescriptions; p < 0.0001). Acceptance rates of the alternative recommendations for PIMs was low overall at 11.1%.

CONCLUSION

The prescribing rate of PIMs in adults aged 65 years and older was successfully decreased with the implementation of prescribing CDS. This decrease was not only maintained but strengthened by the transition to a new EHR system.