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Moyal-Smith R, Elam M, Boulanger J, Balaban R, Cox JE, Cunningham R, Folcarelli P, Germak MC, O'Reilly K, Parkerton M, Samuels NW, Unsworth F, Sato L, Benjamin E. Reducing the Risk of Delayed Colorectal Cancer Diagnoses Through an Ambulatory Safety Net Collaborative. Jt Comm J Qual Patient Saf 2024:S1553-7250(24)00121-1. [PMID: 38763793 DOI: 10.1016/j.jcjq.2024.04.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/28/2023] [Revised: 04/07/2024] [Accepted: 04/18/2024] [Indexed: 05/21/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND An estimated 12 million adults in the United States experience delayed diagnoses and other diagnostic errors annually. Ambulatory safety nets (ASNs) are an intervention to reduce delayed diagnoses by identifying patients with abnormal results overdue for follow-up using registries, workflow redesign, and patient navigation. The authors sought to co-design a collaborative and implement colorectal cancer (CRC) ASNs across various health care settings. METHODS A working group was convened to co-design implementation guidance, measures, and the collaborative model. Collaborative sites were recruited through a medical professional liability insurance program and chose to begin with developing an ASN for positive at-home CRC screening or overdue surveillance colonoscopy. The 18-month Breakthrough Series Collaborative ran from January 2022 to July 2023, with sites continuing to collect data while sustaining their ASNs. Data were collected from sites monthly on patients in the ASN, including the proportion that was successfully contacted, scheduled, and completed a follow-up colonoscopy. RESULTS Six sites participated; four had an operational ASN at the end of the Breakthrough Series, with the remaining sites launching three months later. From October 2022 through February 2024, the Collaborative ASNs collectively identified 5,165 patients from the registry as needing outreach. Among patients needing outreach, 3,555 (68.8%) were successfully contacted, 2,060 (39.9%) were scheduled for a colonoscopy, and 1,504 (29.1%) completed their colonoscopy. CONCLUSION The Collaborative successfully identified patients with previously abnormal CRC screening and facilitated completion of follow-up testing. The CRC ASN Implementation Guide offers a comprehensive road map for health care leaders interested in implementing CRC ASNs.
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Friedemann Smith C, Duncombe S, Fleming S, Hirst Y, Black GB, Bankhead C, Nicholson BD. Electronic safety-netting tool features considered important by UK general practice staff: an interview and Delphi consensus study. BJGP Open 2023; 7:BJGPO.2022.0163. [PMID: 37277171 PMCID: PMC10646209 DOI: 10.3399/bjgpo.2022.0163] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/10/2022] [Revised: 03/16/2023] [Accepted: 04/03/2023] [Indexed: 06/07/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The potential of the electronic health record to support safety netting has been recognised and a number of electronic safety-netting (E-SN) tools developed. AIM To establish the most important features of E-SN tools. DESIGN & SETTING User-experience interviews followed by a Delphi study in a primary care setting in the UK. METHOD The user-experience interviews were carried out remotely with primary care staff who had trialled the EMIS E-SN toolkit for suspected cancer. An electronic modified Delphi approach was used, with primary care staff involved in safety netting in any capacity, to measure consensus on tool features. RESULTS Thirteen user-experience interviews were carried out and features of E-SN tools seen as important formed the majority of the features included in the Delphi study. Three rounds of Delphi survey were administered. Sixteen responders (64%) completed all three rounds, and 28 out of 44 (64%) features reached consensus. Primary care staff preferred tools that were general in scope. CONCLUSION Primary care staff indicated that tools that were not specific to cancer or any other disease, and had features that promoted their flexible, efficient, and integrated use, were important. However, when the important features were discussed with the patient and public involvement (PPI) group, they expressed disappointment that features they believed would make E-SN tools robust and provide a safety net that is difficult to fall through did not reach consensus. The successful adoption of E-SN tools will rely on an evidence base of their effectiveness. Efforts should be made to assess the impact of these tools on patient outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Susannah Fleming
- Nuffield Department of Primary Care Sciences, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Yasemin Hirst
- Institute of Epidemiology & Health, University College London, Lancaster Medical School, Lancaster University, Lancaster, UK
| | - Georgia Bell Black
- Wolfson Institute of population Health, Queen Mary's University, London, UK
| | - Clare Bankhead
- Nuffield Department of Primary Care Sciences, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Brian D Nicholson
- Nuffield Department of Primary Care Sciences, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
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3
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Black GB, Machen S, Parker-Deeks S, Cronin A, Chung D. Using an electronic safety netting tool designed to improve safety with respect to cancer referral in primary care: a qualitative service evaluation using rapid appraisal methods. BMJ Open Qual 2023; 12:e002354. [PMID: 37491106 PMCID: PMC10373707 DOI: 10.1136/bmjoq-2023-002354] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/20/2023] [Accepted: 07/12/2023] [Indexed: 07/27/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND This evaluation assesses the impact of an electronic safety netting software (E-SN) package, C the Signs, in primary care services across five boroughs in North East London (NEL). AIM This study evaluates the use of E-SN software in primary care, examining its benefits and barriers, safety implications, and overall impact on individual and practice usage. DESIGN AND SETTING The study is based on semi-structured interviews with 21 clinical and non-clinical members of staff from all primary care services using the software in NEL. METHOD Semi-structured interviews were conducted to gather data on individual use of the software, safety implications and practice use of features such as the monitoring dashboard. Data were analysed using a rapid qualitative methodology. RESULTS Two approaches to E-SN software adoption were reported: whole practice adoption and self-directed use. Practices benefitted from shared responsibility for safety netting and using software to track patients' progress in secondary care. Adoption was affected by information technology and administrative resources. Decision-support tools were used infrequently due to a lack of appreciation for their benefits. Selective adoption of different E-SN functions restricted its potential impact on early diagnosis. CONCLUSION The use of E-SN software in primary care services in NEL varied among participants. While some found it to be beneficial, others were sceptical of its impact on clinical decision-making. Nonetheless, the software was found to be effective in managing referral processes and tracking patients' progress in other points of care.
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Affiliation(s)
- Georgia B Black
- Wolfson Institute of Population Health, Queen Mary University of London, London, UK
- Department of Applied Health Research, University College London, London, UK
| | - Samantha Machen
- Department of Applied Health Research, University College London, London, UK
| | - Saira Parker-Deeks
- Cancer Commissioning, NHS North East London Clinical Commissioning Group, London, UK
| | - Andrea Cronin
- Cancer Commissioning, NHS North East London Clinical Commissioning Group, London, UK
| | - Donna Chung
- Centre for Cancer Outcomes, University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK
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4
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Dadlez NM, Le Clair AM, Wasima S, Mayer N, Harvey WF, Roberts K, Mazzullo J, Lominac E, Koethe BC, Weingart SN. Preventing lost-to-follow up diagnostic imaging in ambulatory care: evaluation of an electronic notification tool. BMJ Open Qual 2023; 12:e002334. [PMID: 37463784 PMCID: PMC10357715 DOI: 10.1136/bmjoq-2023-002334] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2023] [Accepted: 06/24/2023] [Indexed: 07/20/2023] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Missed or cancelled imaging tests may be invisible to the ordering clinician and result in diagnostic delay. We developed an outpatient results notification tool (ORNT) to alert physicians of patients' missed radiology studies. DESIGN Randomised controlled evaluation of a quality improvement intervention. SETTING 23 primary care and subspecialty ambulatory clinics at an urban academic medical centre. PARTICIPANTS 276 physicians randomised to intervention or usual care. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE 90-day test completion of missed imaging tests. RESULTS We included 3675 radiology tests in our analysis: 1769 ordered in the intervention group and 1906 in the usual care group. A higher per cent of studies were completed for intervention compared with usual care groups in CT (20.7% vs 15.3%, p=0.06), general radiology (19.6% vs 12.0%, p=0.02) and, in aggregate, across all modalities (18.1% vs 16.1%, p=0.03). In the multivariable regression model adjusting for sex, age and insurance type and accounting for clustering with random effects at the level of the physician, the intervention group had a 36% greater odds of test completion than the usual care group (OR: 1.36 (1.097-1.682), p=0.005). In the Cox regression model, patients in the intervention group were 1.32 times more likely to complete their test in a timely fashion (HR: 1.32 (1.10-1.58), p=0.003). CONCLUSIONS An electronic alert that notified the responsible clinician of a missed imaging test ordered in an ambulatory clinic reduced the number of incomplete tests at 90 days. Further study of the obstacles to completing recommended diagnostic testing may allow for the development of better tools to support busy clinicians and their patients and reduce the risk of diagnostic delays.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nina M Dadlez
- Department of Pediatrics, Tufts Medical Center, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, Tufts University School of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Amy M Le Clair
- Department of Medicine, Tufts Medical Center, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Syeda Wasima
- Tufts Medical Center, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Nicole Mayer
- Tufts Medical Center, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - William F Harvey
- Department of Medicine, Tufts Medicine, Burlington, Massachusetts, USA
- Department of Medicine, Tufts University School of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Kari Roberts
- Department of Medicine, Tufts Medical Center, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
- Department of Medicine, Tufts University School of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - John Mazzullo
- Department of Medicine, Tufts Medical Center, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
- Department of Medicine, Tufts University School of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Eric Lominac
- Department of Informatics, Tufts Medical Center, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Benjamin C Koethe
- Biostatistics, Epidemiology, and Research Design (BERD) Center, Tufts Medical Center, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Saul N Weingart
- Department of Medicine, Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island, USA
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5
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Alanazi A, Almutib A, Aldosari B. Physicians' Perspectives on a Multi-Dimensional Model for the Roles of Electronic Health Records in Approaching a Proper Differential Diagnosis. J Pers Med 2023; 13:jpm13040680. [PMID: 37109066 PMCID: PMC10146177 DOI: 10.3390/jpm13040680] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/20/2023] [Revised: 04/05/2023] [Accepted: 04/12/2023] [Indexed: 04/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Many healthcare organizations have adopted Electronic Health Records (EHRs) to improve the quality of care and help physicians make proper clinical decisions. The vital roles of EHRs can support the accuracy of diagnosis, suggest, and rationalize the provided care to patients. This study aims to understand the roles of EHRs in approaching proper differential diagnosis and optimizing patient safety. This study utilized a cross-sectional survey-based descriptive research design to assess physicians' perceptions of the roles of EHRs on diagnosis quality and safety. Physicians working in tertiary hospitals in Saudi Arabia were surveyed. Three hundred and fifty-one participants were included in the study, of which 61% were male. The main participants were family/general practice (22%), medicine, general (14%), and OB/GYN (12%). Overall, 66% of the participants ranked themselves as IT competent, most of the participants underwent IT self-guided learning, and 65% of the participants always used the system. The results generally reveal positive physicians' perceptions toward the roles of the EHR system on diagnosis quality and safety. There was a statistically significant relationship between user characteristics and the roles of the EHR by enhancing access to care, patient-physician encounter, clinical reasoning, diagnostic testing and consultation, follow-up, and diagnostic safety functionality. The study participants demonstrate positive perceptions of physicians toward the roles of the EHR system in approaching differential diagnosis. Yet, areas of improvement in the design and using EHRs are emphasized.
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Affiliation(s)
- Abdullah Alanazi
- Health Informatics Department, King Saud Ibn Abdulaziz University for Health Sciences, Riyadh 11481, Saudi Arabia
- King Abdullah International Medical Research Center, Riyadh 14611, Saudi Arabia
| | - Amal Almutib
- Health Informatics Department, King Saud Ibn Abdulaziz University for Health Sciences, Riyadh 11481, Saudi Arabia
- King Abdullah International Medical Research Center, Riyadh 14611, Saudi Arabia
| | - Bakheet Aldosari
- Health Informatics Department, King Saud Ibn Abdulaziz University for Health Sciences, Riyadh 11481, Saudi Arabia
- King Abdullah International Medical Research Center, Riyadh 14611, Saudi Arabia
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Savoy A, Patel H, Murphy DR, Meyer AND, Herout J, Singh H. Electronic Health Records' Support for Primary Care Physicians' Situation Awareness: A Metanarrative Review. HUMAN FACTORS 2023; 65:237-259. [PMID: 34033500 PMCID: PMC9969495 DOI: 10.1177/00187208211014300] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/23/2020] [Accepted: 03/31/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Situation awareness (SA) refers to people's perception and understanding of their dynamic environment. In primary care, reduced SA among physicians increases errors in clinical decision-making and, correspondingly, patients' risk of experiencing adverse outcomes. Our objective was to understand the extent to which electronic health records (EHRs) support primary care physicians (PCPs)' SA during clinical decision-making. METHOD We conducted a metanarrative review of papers in selected academic databases, including CINAHL and MEDLINE. Eligible studies included original peer-reviewed research published between January 2012 and August 2020 on PCP-EHR interactions. We iteratively queried, screened, and summarized literature focused on EHRs supporting PCPs' clinical decision-making and care management for adults. Then, we mapped findings to an established SA framework to classify external factors (individual, task, and system) affecting PCPs' levels of SA (1-Perception, 2-Comprehension, and 3-Projection) and identified SA barriers. RESULTS From 1504 articles identified, we included and synthesized 19 studies. Study designs were largely noninterventional. Studies described EHR workflow misalignments, usability issues, and communication challenges. EHR information, including lab results and care plans, was characterized as incomplete, untimely, or irrelevant. Unmet information needs made it difficult for PCPs to obtain even basic SA, Level 1 SA. Prevalent barriers to PCPs developing SA with EHRs were errant mental models, attentional tunneling, and data overload. CONCLUSION Based on our review, EHRs do not support the development of higher levels of SA among PCPs. Review findings suggest SA-oriented design processes for health information technology could improve PCPs' SA, satisfaction, and decision-making.
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Affiliation(s)
- April Savoy
- Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis, USA
- Richard L. Roudebush Veterans Affairs Medical Center,
Indianapolis, Indiana, USA
- Regenstrief Institute, Inc.,
Indianapolis, Indiana, USA
| | - Himalaya Patel
- Richard L. Roudebush Veterans Affairs Medical Center,
Indianapolis, Indiana, USA
| | - Daniel R. Murphy
- Michael E. DeBakey Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Houston,
Texas, USA
- Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, USA
| | - Ashley N. D. Meyer
- Michael E. DeBakey Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Houston,
Texas, USA
- Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, USA
| | - Jennifer Herout
- Veterans Health Administration, Office of Health Informatics,
Washington, DC, USA
| | - Hardeep Singh
- Michael E. DeBakey Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Houston,
Texas, USA
- Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, USA
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7
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Savoy A, Patel H, Shahid U, Offner AD, Singh H, Giardina TD, Meyer AND. Electronic Co-design (ECO-design) Workshop for Increasing Clinician Participation in the Design of Health Services Interventions: Participatory Design Approach. JMIR Hum Factors 2022; 9:e37313. [PMID: 36136374 PMCID: PMC9539640 DOI: 10.2196/37313] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2022] [Revised: 07/14/2022] [Accepted: 07/18/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Participation from clinician stakeholders can improve the design and implementation of health care interventions. Participatory design methods, especially co-design methods, comprise stakeholder-led design activities that are time-consuming. Competing work demands and increasing workloads make clinicians' commitments to typical participatory methods even harder. The COVID-19 pandemic further exacerbated barriers to clinician participation in such interventions. OBJECTIVE The aim of this study was to explore a web-based participatory design approach to conduct economical, electronic co-design (ECO-design) workshops with primary care clinicians. METHODS We adapted traditional in-person co-design workshops to web-based delivery and adapted co-design workshop series to fit within a single 1-hour session. We applied the ECO-design workshop approach to codevelop feedback interventions regarding abnormal test result follow-up in primary care. We conducted ECO-design workshops with primary care clinicians at a medical center in Southern Texas, using videoconferencing software. Each workshop focused on one of three types of feedback interventions: conversation guide, email template, and dashboard prototype. We paired electronic materials and software features to facilitate participant interactions, prototyping, and data collection. The workshop protocol included four main activities: problem identification, solution generation, prototyping, and debriefing. Two facilitators were assigned to each workshop and one researcher resolved technical problems. After the workshops, our research team met to debrief and evaluate workshops. RESULTS A total of 28 primary care clinicians participated in our ECO-design workshops. We completed 4 parallel workshops, each with 5-10 participants. We conducted traditional analyses and generated a clinician persona (ie, representative description) and user interface prototypes. We also formulated recommendations for future ECO-design workshop recruitment, technology, facilitation, and data collection. Overall, our adapted workshops successfully enabled primary care clinicians to participate without increasing their workload, even during a pandemic. CONCLUSIONS ECO-design workshops are viable, economical alternatives to traditional approaches. This approach fills a need for efficient methods to involve busy clinicians in the design of health care interventions.
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Affiliation(s)
- April Savoy
- Purdue School of Engineering and Technology, Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis, Indianapolis, IN, United States.,Center for Health Information and Communication (Center of Innovation 13-416), Health Services Research and Development Service, Richard L Roudebush Veterans Affairs Medical Center, United States Department of Veterans Affairs, Indianapolis, IN, United States
| | - Himalaya Patel
- Center for Health Information and Communication (Center of Innovation 13-416), Health Services Research and Development Service, Richard L Roudebush Veterans Affairs Medical Center, United States Department of Veterans Affairs, Indianapolis, IN, United States
| | - Umber Shahid
- Center for Innovations in Quality, Effectiveness and Safety, Michael E DeBakey Veterans Affairs Medical Center, United States Department of Veterans Affairs, Houston, TX, United States.,Department of Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, United States
| | - Alexis D Offner
- Center for Innovations in Quality, Effectiveness and Safety, Michael E DeBakey Veterans Affairs Medical Center, United States Department of Veterans Affairs, Houston, TX, United States.,Department of Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, United States
| | - Hardeep Singh
- Center for Innovations in Quality, Effectiveness and Safety, Michael E DeBakey Veterans Affairs Medical Center, United States Department of Veterans Affairs, Houston, TX, United States.,Department of Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, United States
| | - Traber D Giardina
- Center for Innovations in Quality, Effectiveness and Safety, Michael E DeBakey Veterans Affairs Medical Center, United States Department of Veterans Affairs, Houston, TX, United States.,Department of Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, United States
| | - Ashley N D Meyer
- Center for Innovations in Quality, Effectiveness and Safety, Michael E DeBakey Veterans Affairs Medical Center, United States Department of Veterans Affairs, Houston, TX, United States.,Department of Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, United States
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8
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Greenberg JK, Otun A, Ghogawala Z, Yen PY, Molina CA, Limbrick DD, Foraker RE, Kelly MP, Ray WZ. Translating Data Analytics Into Improved Spine Surgery Outcomes: A Roadmap for Biomedical Informatics Research in 2021. Global Spine J 2022; 12:952-963. [PMID: 33973491 PMCID: PMC9344511 DOI: 10.1177/21925682211008424] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/29/2023] Open
Abstract
STUDY DESIGN Narrative review. OBJECTIVES There is growing interest in the use of biomedical informatics and data analytics tools in spine surgery. Yet despite the rapid growth in research on these topics, few analytic tools have been implemented in routine spine practice. The purpose of this review is to provide a health information technology (HIT) roadmap to help translate data assets and analytics tools into measurable advances in spine surgical care. METHODS We conducted a narrative review of PubMed and Google Scholar to identify publications discussing data assets, analytical approaches, and implementation strategies relevant to spine surgery practice. RESULTS A variety of data assets are available for spine research, ranging from commonly used datasets, such as administrative billing data, to emerging resources, such as mobile health and biobanks. Both regression and machine learning techniques are valuable for analyzing these assets, and researchers should recognize the particular strengths and weaknesses of each approach. Few studies have focused on the implementation of HIT, and a variety of methods exist to help translate analytic tools into clinically useful interventions. Finally, a number of HIT-related challenges must be recognized and addressed, including stakeholder acceptance, regulatory oversight, and ethical considerations. CONCLUSIONS Biomedical informatics has the potential to support the development of new HIT that can improve spine surgery quality and outcomes. By understanding the development life-cycle that includes identifying an appropriate data asset, selecting an analytic approach, and leveraging an effective implementation strategy, spine researchers can translate this potential into measurable advances in patient care.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jacob K. Greenberg
- Department of Neurological Surgery, Washington University School of Medicine,
St. Louis, MO, USA,Jacob K. Greenberg, Department of
Neurosurgery, Washington University School of Medicine, 660S. Euclid Ave., Box
8057, St. Louis, MO 63 110, USA.
| | - Ayodamola Otun
- Department of Neurological Surgery, Washington University School of Medicine,
St. Louis, MO, USA
| | - Zoher Ghogawala
- Department of Neurosurgery, Lahey Hospital and Medical Center, Burlington, MA, USA
| | - Po-Yin Yen
- Institute for Informatics, Washington University School of Medicine,
St. Louis, MO, USA
| | - Camilo A. Molina
- Department of Neurological Surgery, Washington University School of Medicine,
St. Louis, MO, USA
| | - David D. Limbrick
- Department of Neurological Surgery, Washington University School of Medicine,
St. Louis, MO, USA
| | - Randi E Foraker
- Institute for Informatics, Washington University School of Medicine,
St. Louis, MO, USA
| | - Michael P. Kelly
- Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Washington University School of Medicine,
St. Louis, MO, USA
| | - Wilson Z. Ray
- Department of Neurological Surgery, Washington University School of Medicine,
St. Louis, MO, USA
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9
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Murphy M, Wong G, Scott A, Wilson V, Salisbury C. The person-based development and realist evaluation of a summary report for GP consultations. NIHR OPEN RESEARCH 2022; 2:20. [PMID: 35935674 PMCID: PMC7613240 DOI: 10.3310/nihropenres.13258.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Background Use of telephone, video and e-consultations is increasing. These can make consultations more transactional. This study aimed to develop a complex intervention to address patients’ concerns more comprehensively in general practice and test the feasibility of this in a cluster-randomised framework. The complex intervention used two technologies: a patient-completed pre-consultation form used at consultation opening and a doctor-provided summary report provided at consultation closure. This paper reports on the development and realist evaluation of the summary report. Methods A person-based approach was used to develop the summary report. An electronic protocol was designed to automatically generate the report after GPs complete a clinical template in the patient record. This was tested with 45 patients in 3 rounds each, with iterative adjustments made based on feedback after each round. Subsequently, an intervention incorporating the pre-consultation form with the summary report was then tested in a cluster-randomised framework with 30 patients per practice in six practices: four randomised to intervention, and two to control. An embedded realist evaluation was carried out. The main feasibility study results are reported elsewhere. Results Conclusions The person-based approach was successful. The summary report creates clarity, empowerment and reassurance in certain consultations and patients. As it takes a few minutes per patient, GPs prefer to select patients who will benefit most.
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Zimolzak AJ, Shahid U, Giardina TD, Memon SA, Mushtaq U, Zubkoff L, Murphy DR, Bradford A, Singh H. Why Test Results Are Still Getting "Lost" to Follow-up: a Qualitative Study of Implementation Gaps. J Gen Intern Med 2022; 37:137-144. [PMID: 33907982 PMCID: PMC8739406 DOI: 10.1007/s11606-021-06772-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/26/2020] [Accepted: 03/29/2021] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Lack of timely follow-up of abnormal test results is common and has been implicated in missed or delayed diagnosis, resulting in potential for patient harm. OBJECTIVE As part of a larger project to implement change strategies to improve follow-up of diagnostic test results, this study sought to identify specifically where implementation gaps exist, as well as possible solutions identified by front-line staff. DESIGN We used a semi-structured interview guide to collect qualitative data from Veterans Affairs (VA) facility staff who had experience with test results management and patient safety. SETTING Twelve VA facilities across the USA. PARTICIPANTS Facility staff members (n = 27), including clinicians, lab and imaging professionals, nursing staff, patient safety professionals, and leadership. APPROACH We conducted a content analysis of interview transcripts to identify perceived barriers and high-risk areas for effective test result management, as well as recommendations for improvement. RESULTS We identified seven themes to guide further development of interventions to improve test result follow-up. Themes related to trainees, incidental findings, tracking systems for electronic health record notifications, outdated contact information, referrals, backup or covering providers, and responsibility for test results pending at discharge. Participants provided recommendations for improvement within each theme. CONCLUSIONS Perceived barriers and recommendations for improving test result follow-up often reflected previously known problems and their corresponding solutions, which have not been consistently implemented in practice. Better policy solutions and improvement methods, such as quality improvement collaboratives, may bridge the implementation gaps between knowledge and practice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew J Zimolzak
- Center for Innovations in Quality, Effectiveness and Safety, Michael E. DeBakey Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Baylor College of Medicine, 2002 Holcombe Boulevard 152, Houston, TX, 77030, USA.,Department of Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Umber Shahid
- Center for Innovations in Quality, Effectiveness and Safety, Michael E. DeBakey Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Baylor College of Medicine, 2002 Holcombe Boulevard 152, Houston, TX, 77030, USA.,Department of Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Traber D Giardina
- Center for Innovations in Quality, Effectiveness and Safety, Michael E. DeBakey Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Baylor College of Medicine, 2002 Holcombe Boulevard 152, Houston, TX, 77030, USA.,Department of Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Sahar A Memon
- Center for Innovations in Quality, Effectiveness and Safety, Michael E. DeBakey Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Baylor College of Medicine, 2002 Holcombe Boulevard 152, Houston, TX, 77030, USA.,Department of Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Umair Mushtaq
- Center for Innovations in Quality, Effectiveness and Safety, Michael E. DeBakey Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Baylor College of Medicine, 2002 Holcombe Boulevard 152, Houston, TX, 77030, USA.,Department of Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Lisa Zubkoff
- Birmingham/Atlanta VA GRECC, and Division of Preventive Medicine, Department of Veterans Affairs and Department of Medicine, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, USA
| | - Daniel R Murphy
- Center for Innovations in Quality, Effectiveness and Safety, Michael E. DeBakey Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Baylor College of Medicine, 2002 Holcombe Boulevard 152, Houston, TX, 77030, USA.,Department of Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Andrea Bradford
- Center for Innovations in Quality, Effectiveness and Safety, Michael E. DeBakey Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Baylor College of Medicine, 2002 Holcombe Boulevard 152, Houston, TX, 77030, USA.,Department of Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Hardeep Singh
- Center for Innovations in Quality, Effectiveness and Safety, Michael E. DeBakey Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Baylor College of Medicine, 2002 Holcombe Boulevard 152, Houston, TX, 77030, USA. .,Department of Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA.
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11
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Brown AL, Wahab RA, Zhang B, Smetherman DH, Mahoney MC. Reporting and Perceptions of Breast Arterial Calcification on Mammography: A Survey of ACR Radiologists. Acad Radiol 2022; 29 Suppl 1:S192-S198. [PMID: 33610451 DOI: 10.1016/j.acra.2021.01.027] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/19/2020] [Revised: 01/23/2021] [Accepted: 01/31/2021] [Indexed: 01/14/2023]
Abstract
RATIONALE AND OBJECTIVES The ACR Breast Commission conducted a member survey to evaluate current practices of reporting breast arterial calcification (BAC) on mammography and to determine perceptions about the value of BAC communication and follow-up recommendations among radiologists. MATERIALS AND METHODS In September 2020, an 18-item online survey was emailed to radiologist members of the American College of Radiology (ACR). Questions included radiologist demographics, current BAC reporting practices, follow-up recommendations, and perceptions about BAC. Five-point Likert scales were used and multivariate analysis was performed. RESULTS Of 598 completed survey responses, up to 87% (522/598) of ACR radiologist members include BAC in mammogram reports. However, only 41% (212/522) of respondents report BAC 'always' or 'most of the time'. Radiologist factors significantly associated with BAC reporting include years in practice and fellowship training with those in practice longer more likely to report BAC (OR 1.10, 95% CI, [1.01-1.20], p = 0.023) and those with fellowship training less likely to report BAC (OR 0.63, 95% CI, [0.42-0.94], p = 0.024). When BAC is reported, 69% (360/522) simply indicate the presence of BAC, 23% (121/522) provide a subjective grading of BAC burden, and 1% (6/522) calculate a BAC score. Among the radiologists reporting BAC, 58% (301/522) make no subsequent recommendations, while the remainder recommend primary care follow-up (39%; 204/522), cardiology evaluation (13%; 68/522), and/or coronary calcium scoring CT (11%; 59/522). Overall, there was agreement from 66% (392/598) of respondents that BAC is a cardiovascular risk factor. However, there was no consensus on whether patients and/or providers should be informed about BAC or whether reporting of BAC should become a standardized practice in breast imaging. Older and more experienced radiologists are more likely to agree that BAC is a cardiovascular risk factor (p = 0.022), providers should be informed about BAC (p = 0.002 and 0.006), BAC reporting should be a standardized practice (p = 0.004 and 0.001), and feel more comfortable informing patients about BAC (p = 0.001 and 0.003). CONCLUSION Radiologists' reporting practices and perceptions regarding BAC are not homogeneous. Although many radiologists report BAC to varying degrees, it is not routinely reported or recommended for follow-up in mammogram reports. Experienced radiologists are more likely to include and value BAC in their breast imaging practice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ann L Brown
- Department of Radiology, University of Cincinnati Medical Center, Cincinnati, Ohio (A.L.B., R.A.W., M.C.M.).
| | - Rifat A Wahab
- Department of Radiology, University of Cincinnati Medical Center, Cincinnati, Ohio (A.L.B., R.A.W., M.C.M.)
| | - Bin Zhang
- Department of Epidemiology, Cincinnati Children's Medical Center, Cincinnati, Ohio (B.Z.)
| | - Dana H Smetherman
- Department of Radiology, Ochsner Health, New Orleans, Louisiana (D.H.S.)
| | - Mary C Mahoney
- Department of Radiology, University of Cincinnati Medical Center, Cincinnati, Ohio (A.L.B., R.A.W., M.C.M.)
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Akbar F, Mark G, Prausnitz S, Warton EM, East JA, Moeller MF, Reed ME, Lieu TA. Physician Stress During Electronic Health Record Inbox Work: In Situ Measurement With Wearable Sensors. JMIR Med Inform 2021; 9:e24014. [PMID: 33908888 PMCID: PMC8116996 DOI: 10.2196/24014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2020] [Revised: 02/02/2021] [Accepted: 03/21/2021] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Increased work through electronic health record (EHR) messaging is frequently cited as a factor of physician burnout. However, studies to date have relied on anecdotal or self-reported measures, which limit the ability to match EHR use patterns with continuous stress patterns throughout the day. Objective The aim of this study is to collect EHR use and physiologic stress data through unobtrusive means that provide objective and continuous measures, cluster distinct patterns of EHR inbox work, identify physicians’ daily physiologic stress patterns, and evaluate the association between EHR inbox work patterns and physician physiologic stress. Methods Physicians were recruited from 5 medical centers. Participants (N=47) were given wrist-worn devices (Garmin Vivosmart 3) with heart rate sensors to wear for 7 days. The devices measured physiological stress throughout the day based on heart rate variability (HRV). Perceived stress was also measured with self-reports through experience sampling and a one-time survey. From the EHR system logs, the time attributed to different activities was quantified. By using a clustering algorithm, distinct inbox work patterns were identified and their associated stress measures were compared. The effects of EHR use on physician stress were examined using a generalized linear mixed effects model. Results Physicians spent an average of 1.08 hours doing EHR inbox work out of an average total EHR time of 3.5 hours. Patient messages accounted for most of the inbox work time (mean 37%, SD 11%). A total of 3 patterns of inbox work emerged: inbox work mostly outside work hours, inbox work mostly during work hours, and inbox work extending after hours that were mostly contiguous to work hours. Across these 3 groups, physiologic stress patterns showed 3 periods in which stress increased: in the first hour of work, early in the afternoon, and in the evening. Physicians in group 1 had the longest average stress duration during work hours (80 out of 243 min of valid HRV data; P=.02), as measured by physiological sensors. Inbox work duration, the rate of EHR window switching (moving from one screen to another), the proportion of inbox work done outside of work hours, inbox work batching, and the day of the week were each independently associated with daily stress duration (marginal R2=15%). Individual-level random effects were significant and explained most of the variation in stress (conditional R2=98%). Conclusions This study is among the first to demonstrate associations between electronic inbox work and physiological stress. We identified 3 potentially modifiable factors associated with stress: EHR window switching, inbox work duration, and inbox work outside work hours. Organizations seeking to reduce physician stress may consider system-based changes to reduce EHR window switching or inbox work duration or the incorporation of inbox management time into work hours.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fatema Akbar
- Department of Informatics, Donald Bren School of Information and Computer Sciences, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA, United States
| | - Gloria Mark
- Department of Informatics, Donald Bren School of Information and Computer Sciences, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA, United States
| | - Stephanie Prausnitz
- Division of Research, Kaiser Permanente Northern California, Oakland, CA, United States
| | - E Margaret Warton
- Division of Research, Kaiser Permanente Northern California, Oakland, CA, United States
| | - Jeffrey A East
- The Permanente Medical Group, Oakland, CA, United States.,Department of Adult and Family Medicine, Kaiser Permanente, Richmond, CA, United States.,Department of Adult and Family Medicine, Kaiser Permanente, San Rafael, CA, United States
| | - Mark F Moeller
- The Permanente Medical Group, Oakland, CA, United States.,Department of Adult and Family Medicine, Kaiser Permanente, Napa, CA, United States
| | - Mary E Reed
- Division of Research, Kaiser Permanente Northern California, Oakland, CA, United States
| | - Tracy A Lieu
- Division of Research, Kaiser Permanente Northern California, Oakland, CA, United States.,The Permanente Medical Group, Oakland, CA, United States
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13
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Reece JC, Neal EFG, Nguyen P, McIntosh JG, Emery JD. Delayed or failure to follow-up abnormal breast cancer screening mammograms in primary care: a systematic review. BMC Cancer 2021; 21:373. [PMID: 33827476 PMCID: PMC8028768 DOI: 10.1186/s12885-021-08100-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/04/2021] [Accepted: 03/23/2021] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Successful breast cancer screening relies on timely follow-up of abnormal mammograms. Delayed or failure to follow-up abnormal mammograms undermines the potential benefits of screening and is associated with poorer outcomes. However, a comprehensive review of inadequate follow-up of abnormal mammograms in primary care has not previously been reported in the literature. This review could identify modifiable factors that influence follow-up, which if addressed, may lead to improved follow-up and patient outcomes. Methods A systematic literature review to determine the extent of inadequate follow-up of abnormal screening mammograms in primary care and identify factors impacting on follow-up was conducted. Relevant studies published between 1 January, 1990 and 29 October, 2020 were identified by searching MEDLINE®, Embase, CINAHL® and Cochrane Library, including reference and citation checking. Joanna Briggs Institute Critical Appraisal Checklists were used to assess the risk of bias of included studies according to study design. Results Eighteen publications reporting on 17 studies met inclusion criteria; 16 quantitative and two qualitative studies. All studies were conducted in the United States, except one study from the Netherlands. Failure to follow-up abnormal screening mammograms within 3 and at 6 months ranged from 7.2–33% and 27.3–71.6%, respectively. Women of ethnic minority and lower education attainment were more likely to have inadequate follow-up. Factors influencing follow-up included physician-patient miscommunication, information overload created by automated alerts, the absence of adequate retrieval systems to access patient’s results and a lack of coordination of patient records. Logistical barriers to follow-up included inconvenient clinic hours and inconsistent primary care providers. Patient navigation and case management with increased patient education and counselling by physicians was demonstrated to improve follow-up. Conclusions Follow-up of abnormal mammograms in primary care is suboptimal. However, interventions addressing amendable factors that negatively impact on follow-up have the potential to improve follow-up, especially for populations of women at risk of inadequate follow-up. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12885-021-08100-3.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeanette C Reece
- Colorectal Cancer Unit, Centre for Epidemiology and Biostatistics and Neuroepidemiology Unit, Centre for Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Melbourne School of Population and Global Health, The University of Melbourne, Level 3 207 Bouverie Street, Parkville, VIC, 3010, Australia. .,Centre for Cancer Research, Victorian Comprehensive Cancer Centre, Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia.
| | - Eleanor F G Neal
- Infection and Immunity, Murdoch Children's Research Institute, Parkville, Australia.,Centre for International Child Health, Department of Paediatrics, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Australia
| | - Peter Nguyen
- Centre for Cancer Research, Victorian Comprehensive Cancer Centre, Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia.,Department of General Practice, Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Jennifer G McIntosh
- Department of General Practice, Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia.,Department of Software Systems and Cybersecurity, Faculty of Information Technology, Monash University, VIC, Clayton, Australia
| | - Jon D Emery
- Centre for Cancer Research, Victorian Comprehensive Cancer Centre, Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia.,Department of General Practice, Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia
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14
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Georgiou A, Li J, Thomas J, Dahm MR, Westbrook JI. The impact of health information technology on the management and follow-up of test results - a systematic review. J Am Med Inform Assoc 2020; 26:678-688. [PMID: 31192362 PMCID: PMC6562156 DOI: 10.1093/jamia/ocz032] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2018] [Revised: 02/21/2019] [Accepted: 02/28/2019] [Indexed: 02/03/2023] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To investigate the impact of health information technology (IT) systems on clinicians' work practices and patient engagement in the management and follow-up of test results. MATERIALS AND METHODS A search for studies reporting health IT systems and clinician test results management was conducted in the following databases: MEDLINE, EMBASE, CINAHL, Web of Science, ScienceDirect, ProQuest, and Scopus from January 1999 to June 2018. Test results follow-up was defined as provider follow-up of results for tests that were sent to the laboratory and radiology services for processing or analysis. RESULTS There are some findings from controlled studies showing that health IT can improve the proportion of tests followed-up (15 percentage point change) and increase physician awareness of test results that require action (24-28 percentage point change). Taken as whole, however, the evidence of the impact of health IT on test result management and follow-up is not strong. DISCUSSION The development of safe and effective test results management IT systems should pivot on several axes. These axes include 1) patient-centerd engagement (involving shared, timely, and meaningful information); 2) diagnostic processes (that involve the integration of multiple people and different clinical settings across the health care spectrum); and 3) organizational communications (the myriad of multi- transactional processes requiring feedback, iteration, and confirmation) that contribute to the patient care process. CONCLUSION Existing evidence indicates that health IT in and of itself does not (and most likely cannot) provide a complete solution to issues related to test results management and follow-up.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew Georgiou
- Centre for Health Systems and Safety Research, Australian Institute of Health Innovation, Macquarie University, Sydney, Australia
| | - Julie Li
- Centre for Health Systems and Safety Research, Australian Institute of Health Innovation, Macquarie University, Sydney, Australia
| | - Judith Thomas
- Centre for Health Systems and Safety Research, Australian Institute of Health Innovation, Macquarie University, Sydney, Australia
| | - Maria R Dahm
- Centre for Health Systems and Safety Research, Australian Institute of Health Innovation, Macquarie University, Sydney, Australia
| | - Johanna I Westbrook
- Centre for Health Systems and Safety Research, Australian Institute of Health Innovation, Macquarie University, Sydney, Australia
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15
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Wiley KK, Hilts KE, Ancker JS, Unruh MA, Jung HY, Vest JR. Organizational characteristics and perceptions of clinical event notification services in healthcare settings: a study of health information exchange. JAMIA Open 2020; 3:611-618. [PMID: 33623895 PMCID: PMC7886547 DOI: 10.1093/jamiaopen/ooaa065] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/03/2020] [Accepted: 11/04/2020] [Indexed: 01/22/2023] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Event notification systems are an approach to health information exchange (HIE) that notifies end-users of patient interactions with the healthcare system through real-time automated alerts. We examined associations between organizational capabilities and perceptions of event notification system use. MATERIALS AND METHODS We surveyed representatives (n = 196) from healthcare organizations (n = 96) that subscribed to 1 of 3 Health Information Organizations' event notification services in New York City (response rate = 27%). The survey was conducted in Fall 2017 and Winter 2018. Surveys measured respondent characteristics, perceived organizational capabilities, event notification use, care coordination, and care quality. Exploratory factor analysis was used to identify relevant independent and dependent variables. We examined the relationship between organizational capabilities, care coordination, and care quality using multilevel linear regression models with random effects. RESULTS Respondents indicated that the majority of their organizations provided follow-up care for emergency department visits (66%) and hospital admissions (73%). Perceptions of care coordination were an estimated 57.5% (β = 0.575; P < 0.001) higher among respondents who reported event notifications fit within their organization's existing workflows. Perceptions of care quality were 46.5% (β = 0.465; P < 0.001) higher among respondents who indicated event notifications fit within existing workflows and 23.8% (β = 0.238; P < 0.01) higher where respondents reported having supportive policies and procedures for timely response and coordination of event notifications. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION Healthcare organizations with specific workflow processes and positive perceptions of fit are more likely to use event notification services to improve care coordination and care quality. In addition, event notification capacity and patient consent procedures influence how end-users perceive event notification services.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kevin K Wiley
- Department of Health Policy and Management, Richard M. Fairbanks School of Public Health, Indiana University, 1050 Wishard Blvd, Indianapolis, Indiana 46202-2872, USA
- Regenstrief Institute, Inc., Indianapolis, Indiana, USA
| | - Katy Ellis Hilts
- School of Nursing, Indiana University, Indianapolis, Indiana, USA
| | - Jessica S Ancker
- Division of Health Policy and Economics, Weill-Cornell Medicine, New York, New York, USA
| | - Mark A Unruh
- Division of Health Policy and Economics, Weill-Cornell Medicine, New York, New York, USA
| | - Hye-Young Jung
- Division of Health Policy and Economics, Weill-Cornell Medicine, New York, New York, USA
| | - Joshua R Vest
- Department of Health Policy and Management, Richard M. Fairbanks School of Public Health, Indiana University, 1050 Wishard Blvd, Indianapolis, Indiana 46202-2872, USA
- Regenstrief Institute, Inc., Indianapolis, Indiana, USA
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16
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Fleming S, Nicholson BD, Bhuiya A, de Lusignan S, Hirst Y, Hobbs R, Perera R, Sherlock J, Yonova I, Bankhead C. CASNET2: evaluation of an electronic safety netting cancer toolkit for the primary care electronic health record: protocol for a pragmatic stepped-wedge RCT. BMJ Open 2020; 10:e038562. [PMID: 32843517 PMCID: PMC7449309 DOI: 10.1136/bmjopen-2020-038562] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2020] [Revised: 06/16/2020] [Accepted: 07/01/2020] [Indexed: 11/03/2022] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Safety-netting in primary care is the best practice in cancer diagnosis, ensuring that patients are followed up until symptoms are explained or have resolved. Currently, clinicians use haphazard manual solutions. The ubiquitous use of electronic health records provides an opportunity to standardise safety-netting practices.A new electronic safety-netting toolkit has been introduced to provide systematic ways to track and follow up patients. We will evaluate the effectiveness of this toolkit, which is embedded in a major primary care clinical system in England:Egerton Medical Information System(EMIS)-Web. METHODS AND ANALYSIS We will conduct a stepped-wedge cluster RCT in 60 general practices within the RCGP Research and Surveillance Centre (RSC) network. Groups of 10 practices will be randomised into the active phase at 2-monthly intervals over 12 months. All practices will be activated for at least 2 months. The primary outcome is the primary care interval measured as days between the first recorded symptom of cancer (within the year prior to diagnosis) and the subsequent referral to secondary care. Other outcomes include referrals rates and rates of direct access cancer investigation.Analysis of the clustered stepped-wedge design will model associations using a fixed effect for intervention condition of the cluster at each time step, a fixed effect for time and other covariates, and then include a random effect for practice and for patient to account for correlation between observations from the same centre and from the same participant. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION Ethical approval has been obtained from the North West-Greater Manchester West National Health Service Research Ethics Committee (REC Reference 19/NW/0692). Results will be disseminated in peer-reviewed journals and conferences, and sent to participating practices. They will be published on the University of Oxford Nuffield Department of Primary Care and RCGP RSC websites. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER ISRCTN15913081; Pre-results.
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Affiliation(s)
- Susannah Fleming
- Nuffield Department of Primary Care Health Sciences, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Brian D Nicholson
- Nuffield Department of Primary Care Health Sciences, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Afsana Bhuiya
- North Central and East London Cancer Alliance, London, UK
| | - Simon de Lusignan
- Nuffield Department of Primary Care Health Sciences, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Surrey, Guildford, Surrey, UK
- Research and Surveillance Centre, Royal College of General Practitioners, London, London, UK
| | - Yasemin Hirst
- Research Department of Behavioural Science and Health, University College, London, UK
| | - Richard Hobbs
- Nuffield Department of Primary Care Health Sciences, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Rafael Perera
- Nuffield Department of Primary Care Health Sciences, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Julian Sherlock
- Nuffield Department of Primary Care Health Sciences, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Surrey, Guildford, Surrey, UK
| | - Ivelina Yonova
- Nuffield Department of Primary Care Health Sciences, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Surrey, Guildford, Surrey, UK
- Research and Surveillance Centre, Royal College of General Practitioners, London, London, UK
| | - Clare Bankhead
- Nuffield Department of Primary Care Health Sciences, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
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17
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Watson MD, Elhage SA, Scully C, Peterson S, Gulledge M, Cunningham K, Sachdev G. Electronic health record usage among nurse practitioners, physician assistants, and junior residents. J Am Assoc Nurse Pract 2020; 33:200-204. [PMID: 32740334 DOI: 10.1097/jxx.0000000000000466] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/06/2020] [Accepted: 05/08/2020] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Studies demonstrate significant electronic health record (EHR) use by junior residents; however, few studies have investigated this for nurse practitioners and physician assistants (NPs/PAs). PURPOSE The aim of this study was to quantify the time spent on the EHR by NPs/PAs and junior residents. METHODS Electronic health record usage data were collected from April 2015 through April 2016. Monthly EHR usage was compared between NPs/PAs and postgraduate second and third year residents. Further subgroup analysis of NPs/PAs and residents from surgical or nonsurgical fields was conducted. RESULTS Data for 22 NPs/PAs (16 surgical and six nonsurgical) and 125 residents (31 surgical and 94 nonsurgical) were analyzed. Nurse practitioners/physician assistants opened fewer charts per day (4.9 ± 1.5 vs. 5.4 ± 3.1), placed more orders per month, and spent more daily time on the EHR (176.5 ± 51.7 minutes vs. 152.3 ± 71.9 minutes; p < .0001). Compared with residents, NPs/PAs spent more time per patient in all categories (chart review, documentation, order entry) and in total time per patient chart (all p < .05). Comparing surgical NPs/PAs to surgical residents, findings were similar with fewer charts per day, more total daily EHR time, and more EHR time per patient in every tracked category (all p < .05). IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE This is the first study to quantify time on the EHR for NPs/PAs. Nurse practitioners/physician assistants spent more time on the EHR than residents, and this is accentuated with surgical NPs/PAs. Electronic health record utilization appears more burdensome for NPs/PAs; however, the reason for this is unclear and highlights the need for targeted interventions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael D Watson
- Department of Surgery, Atrium Health, Carolinas Medical Center, Charlotte, North Carolina
| | - Sharbel A Elhage
- Department of Surgery, Atrium Health, Carolinas Medical Center, Charlotte, North Carolina
| | - Casey Scully
- Department of Surgery, Atrium Health, Carolinas Medical Center, Charlotte, North Carolina
| | - Sabrina Peterson
- University of North Carolina School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, North Carolina
| | - Marialice Gulledge
- Department of Surgery, Atrium Health, Carolinas Medical Center, Charlotte, North Carolina
| | - Kyle Cunningham
- Department of Surgery, Atrium Health, Carolinas Medical Center, Charlotte, North Carolina
| | - Gaurav Sachdev
- Department of Surgery, Atrium Health, Carolinas Medical Center, Charlotte, North Carolina
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Using Clinical Simulations to Train Healthcare Professionals to Use Electronic Health Records: A Literature Review. Comput Inform Nurs 2020; 38:551-561. [PMID: 32520783 DOI: 10.1097/cin.0000000000000631] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
Unintended consequences are adverse events directly related to information technology and may result from inappropriate use of electronic health records by healthcare professionals. Electronic health record competency training has historically used didactic lectures with hands-on experience in a live classroom, and this method fails to teach learners proficiency because the sociotechnical factors that are present in real-world settings are excluded. Additionally, on-the-job training to gain competency can impair patient safety because it distracts clinicians from patient care activities. Clinical simulation-based electronic health record training allows learners to acquire technical and nontechnical skills in a safe environment that will not compromise patient safety. The purpose of this literature review was to summarize the current state-of-the-science on the use of clinical simulations to train healthcare professionals to use electronic health records. The benefits of using simulation-based training that incorporates an organization's contextual factors include improvement of interdisciplinary team communication, clinical performance, clinician-patient-technology communication skills, and recognition of patient safety issues. Design considerations for electronic health record training using clinical simulations involve establishing course objectives, identifying outcome measures, establishing content requirements of both the clinical simulation and electronic health record, and providing adequate debriefing.
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19
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Powell L, Sittig DF, Chrouser K, Singh H. Assessment of Health Information Technology-Related Outpatient Diagnostic Delays in the US Veterans Affairs Health Care System: A Qualitative Study of Aggregated Root Cause Analysis Data. JAMA Netw Open 2020; 3:e206752. [PMID: 32584406 PMCID: PMC7317596 DOI: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2020.6752] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
IMPORTANCE Diagnostic delay in the outpatient setting is an emerging safety priority that health information technology (HIT) should help address. However, diagnostic delays have persisted, and new safety concerns associated with the use of HIT have emerged. OBJECTIVE To analyze HIT-related outpatient diagnostic delays within a large, integrated health care system. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS This cohort study involved qualitative content analysis of safety concerns identified in aggregated root cause analysis (RCA) data related to HIT and outpatient diagnostic delays. The setting was the US Department of Veterans Affairs using all RCAs submitted to the Veterans Affairs (VA) National Center for Patient Safety from January 1, 2013, to July 31, 2018. MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES Common themes associated with the role of HIT-related safety concerns were identified and categorized according to the Health IT Safety framework for measuring, monitoring, and improving HIT safety. This framework includes 3 related domains (ie, safe HIT, safe use of HIT, and using HIT to improve safety) situated within an 8-dimensional sociotechnical model accounting for interacting technical and nontechnical variables associated with safety. Hence, themes identified enhanced understanding of the sociotechnical context and domain of HIT safety involved. RESULTS Of 214 RCAs categorized by the terms delay and outpatient submitted during the study period, 88 were identified as involving diagnostic delays and HIT, from which 172 unique HIT-related safety concerns were extracted (mean [SD], 1.97 [1.53] per RCA). Most safety concerns (82.6% [142 of 172]) involved problems with safe use of HIT, predominantly sociotechnical factors associated with people, workflow and communication, and a poorly designed human-computer interface. Fewer safety concerns involved problems with safe HIT (14.5% [25 of 172]) or using HIT to improve safety (0.3% [5 of 172]). The following 5 key high-risk areas for diagnostic delays emerged: managing electronic health record inbox notifications and communication, clinicians gathering key diagnostic information, technical problems, data entry problems, and failure of a system to track test results. CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE This qualitative study of a national RCA data set suggests that interventions to reduce outpatient diagnostic delays could aim to improve test result management, interoperability, data visualization, and order entry, as well as to decrease information overload.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lauren Powell
- Veterans Affairs (VA) National Center for Patient Safety, Ann Arbor, Michigan
| | - Dean F Sittig
- School of Biomedical Informatics, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston
| | | | - Hardeep Singh
- Center for Innovations in Quality, Effectiveness, and Safety (IQuESt) at the Michael E. DeBakey VA Medical Center and Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas
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20
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Campione JR, Mardon RE, McDonald KM. Patient Safety Culture, Health Information Technology Implementation, and Medical Office Problems That Could Lead to Diagnostic Error. J Patient Saf 2020; 15:267-273. [PMID: 30138158 DOI: 10.1097/pts.0000000000000531] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Diagnostic errors may cause harm to patients by preventing or delaying appropriate treatment or by leading to unnecessary or harmful treatment. OBJECTIVES The aim of the study was to investigate the relationship between patient safety culture, health information technology (IT) implementation, and the frequency of problems that could lead to diagnostic errors in the medical office setting, such as unavailable test results, unavailable medical records, or unpursued abnormal results. METHODS We used survey data from 925 medical offices nationwide that voluntarily submitted results to the 2012 Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality Medical Office Surveys on Patient Safety Culture database. At the office level, we ran a multivariate regression model to estimate the effect of culture on problem frequency while controlling for office-reported implementation levels of health IT, office characteristics such as the number of locations, and survey characteristics such as the percent of respondents that were physicians. RESULTS The most frequent problem was "results from a lab or imaging test were not available when needed"; across 925 offices, the average was 15% reporting that it happened daily or weekly. Higher overall culture scores were significantly associated with fewer occurrences of each problem assessed. Compared with offices with completed health IT implementation, offices in the process of health IT implementation had higher frequency of problems. CONCLUSIONS This study offers insight into how patient safety culture and health IT implementation in medical offices can influence the frequency of breakdowns in processes of care, thereby identifying potential vulnerabilities that can increase diagnostic errors.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Kathryn M McDonald
- Center for Health Policy and the Center for Primary Care and Outcomes Research, Stanford University, Stanford, California
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Project RedDE: Cluster Randomized Trial to Reduce Missed or Delayed Abnormal Laboratory Value Actions. Pediatr Qual Saf 2019; 4:e218. [PMID: 31745521 PMCID: PMC6805103 DOI: 10.1097/pq9.0000000000000218] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/04/2019] [Accepted: 08/27/2019] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Supplemental Digital Content is available in the text. Failure of timely abnormal laboratory result follow-up is relatively common and may lead to harm. This study hypothesized that a quality improvement collaborative (QIC) could reduce the frequency of missed or delayed action on abnormal laboratory values.
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Benton W, Snyder ED, Estrada CA, Bryan TJ. Signed, Sealed, Delivered: Increasing Patient Notification of Test Results in an Internal Medicine Resident Continuity Clinic. South Med J 2019; 112:85-88. [PMID: 30708371 DOI: 10.14423/smj.0000000000000929] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Informing patients of their test results is an important patient safety issue, yet many physicians perform dismally in this regard. Residents often face additional barriers to communicating test results to patients. We wanted to determine whether streamlining the notification process, communicating expectations, and having residents audit their performance would increase result notification rates. METHODS We used a quasi-experimental design, and a single-group before-and-after intervention. Our multifold intervention consisted of development and standardization of a notification process in the electronic medical record, an education component, and a self-audit component. During a 15-minute session, we educated residents on the use of the new process. We also restated expectations regarding notifying patients of their results. Residents audited their own charts for a period before the intervention and during a second, postintervention period. An independent review of notification rates took place simultaneously as well as during an additional period several months later. RESULTS In total, 87 residents were eligible for participation. All 87 completed the project, giving a 100% participation rate. Resident-reported laboratory test notification rates increased from 16% to 91%; other test result rates increased from 33% to 84%. The three independent reviews showed laboratory test notification rates increased from 18.5% to 71.7% to 87.1%, and notification of other test results increased from 23.5% to 66.7% to 91.7%. CONCLUSIONS Baseline rates of notification for diagnostic tests results were low, but streamlining the notification process, clearly stating expectations for using it, and using resident self-audit can improve notification rates.
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Affiliation(s)
- William Benton
- From the Department of Internal Medicine, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center, Baton Rouge, the Department of Medicine, University of Alabama, Birmingham, and the Birmingham Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Birmingham, Alabama
| | - Erin D Snyder
- From the Department of Internal Medicine, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center, Baton Rouge, the Department of Medicine, University of Alabama, Birmingham, and the Birmingham Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Birmingham, Alabama
| | - Carlos A Estrada
- From the Department of Internal Medicine, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center, Baton Rouge, the Department of Medicine, University of Alabama, Birmingham, and the Birmingham Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Birmingham, Alabama
| | - Teresa J Bryan
- From the Department of Internal Medicine, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center, Baton Rouge, the Department of Medicine, University of Alabama, Birmingham, and the Birmingham Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Birmingham, Alabama
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Gefen D, Ben-Assuli O, Stehr M, Rosen B, Denekamp Y. Governmental intervention in Hospital Information Exchange (HIE) diffusion: a quasi-experimental ARIMA interrupted time series analysis of monthly HIE patient penetration rates. EUR J INFORM SYST 2019. [DOI: 10.1080/0960085x.2019.1666038] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- David Gefen
- Decision Sciences and MIS, Bennett S LeBow College of Business, Drexel University, Philadelphia, USA
| | - Ofir Ben-Assuli
- Information Systems Management Department, Faculty of Business Administration, Ono Academic College, Kiryat Ono, Israel
| | - Mark Stehr
- Bennett S LeBow College of Business, Drexel University, Philadelphia, USA
| | - Bruce Rosen
- JDC - Brookdale Institute, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Yaron Denekamp
- Clalit Health Services, Tel Aviv, Israel
- School of Public Health, Haifa University, Israel
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Murphy DR, Satterly T, Giardina TD, Sittig DF, Singh H. Practicing Clinicians' Recommendations to Reduce Burden from the Electronic Health Record Inbox: a Mixed-Methods Study. J Gen Intern Med 2019; 34:1825-1832. [PMID: 31292905 PMCID: PMC6712240 DOI: 10.1007/s11606-019-05112-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/06/2018] [Revised: 03/25/2019] [Accepted: 04/20/2019] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Workload from electronic health record (EHR) inbox notifications leads to information overload and contributes to job dissatisfaction and physician burnout. Better understanding of physicians' inbox requirements and workflows could optimize inbox designs, enhance efficiency, and reduce safety risks from information overload. DESIGN We conducted a mixed-methods study to identify strategies to enhance EHR inbox design and workflow. First, we performed a secondary analysis of national survey data of all Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) primary care practitioners (PCP) to identify major themes in responses to a free-text question soliciting suggestions to improve EHR inbox design and workflows. We then conducted expert interviews of clinicians at five health care systems (1 VA and 4 non-VA settings using 4 different EHRs) to understand existing optimal strategies to improve efficiency and situational awareness related to EHR inbox use. Themes from survey data were cross-validated with interview findings. RESULTS We analyzed responses from 2104 PCPs who completed the free-text inbox question (of 5001 PCPs who responded to survey) and used an inductive approach to identify five themes: (1) Inbox notification content should be actionable for patient care and relevant to recipient clinician, (2) Inboxes should reduce risk of losing messages, (3) Inbox functionality should be optimized to improve efficiency of processing notifications, (4) Team support should be leveraged to help with EHR inbox notification burden, (5) Sufficient time should be provided to all clinicians to process EHR inbox notifications. We subsequently interviewed 15 VA and non-VA clinicians and identified 11 unique strategies, each corresponding directly with one of these five themes. CONCLUSION Feedback from practicing end-user clinicians provides robust evidence to improve content and design of the EHR inbox and related clinical workflows and organizational policies. Several strategies we identified could improve clinicians' EHR efficiency and satisfaction as well as empower them to work with their local administrators, health IT personnel, and EHR developers to improve these systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel R Murphy
- Center for Innovations in Quality, Effectiveness and Safety (IQuESt) (152), Michael E. DeBakey Veterans Affairs Medical Center (MEDVAMC), 2002 Holcombe Boulevard, Houston, TX, 77030, USA.
- Department of Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA.
| | - Tyler Satterly
- Center for Innovations in Quality, Effectiveness and Safety (IQuESt) (152), Michael E. DeBakey Veterans Affairs Medical Center (MEDVAMC), 2002 Holcombe Boulevard, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
- Department of Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Traber D Giardina
- Center for Innovations in Quality, Effectiveness and Safety (IQuESt) (152), Michael E. DeBakey Veterans Affairs Medical Center (MEDVAMC), 2002 Holcombe Boulevard, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
- Department of Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Dean F Sittig
- University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston's School of Biomedical Informatics and the UT-Memorial Hermann Center for Healthcare Quality & Safety, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Hardeep Singh
- Center for Innovations in Quality, Effectiveness and Safety (IQuESt) (152), Michael E. DeBakey Veterans Affairs Medical Center (MEDVAMC), 2002 Holcombe Boulevard, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
- Department of Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
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Mazur LM, Mosaly PR, Moore C, Marks L. Association of the Usability of Electronic Health Records With Cognitive Workload and Performance Levels Among Physicians. JAMA Netw Open 2019; 2:e191709. [PMID: 30951160 PMCID: PMC6450327 DOI: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2019.1709] [Citation(s) in RCA: 61] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
IMPORTANCE Current electronic health record (EHR) user interfaces are suboptimally designed and may be associated with excess cognitive workload and poor performance. OBJECTIVE To assess the association between the usability of an EHR system for the management of abnormal test results and physicians' cognitive workload and performance levels. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS This quality improvement study was conducted in a simulated EHR environment. From April 1, 2016, to December 23, 2016, residents and fellows from a large academic institution were enrolled and allocated to use either a baseline EHR (n = 20) or an enhanced EHR (n = 18). Data analyses were conducted from January 9, 2017, to March 30, 2018. INTERVENTIONS The EHR with enhanced usability segregated in a dedicated folder previously identified critical test results for patients who did not appear for a scheduled follow-up evaluation and provided policy-based decision support instructions for next steps. The baseline EHR displayed all patients with abnormal or critical test results in a general folder and provided no decision support instructions for next steps. MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES Cognitive workload was quantified subjectively using NASA-Task Load Index and physiologically using blink rates. Performance was quantified according to the percentage of appropriately managed abnormal test results. RESULTS Of the 38 participants, 25 (66%) were female. The 20 participants allocated to the baseline EHR compared with the 18 allocated to the enhanced EHR demonstrated statistically significantly higher cognitive workload as quantified by blink rate (mean [SD] blinks per minute, 16 [9] vs 24 [7]; blink rate, -8 [95% CI, -13 to -2]; P = .01). The baseline group showed statistically significantly poorer performance compared with the enhanced group who appropriately managed 16% more abnormal test results (mean [SD] performance, 68% [19%] vs 98% [18%]; performance rate, -30% [95% CI, -40% to -20%]; P < .001). CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE Relatively basic usability enhancements to the EHR system appear to be associated with better physician cognitive workload and performance; this finding suggests that next-generation systems should strip away non-value-added EHR interactions, which may help physicians eliminate the need to develop their own suboptimal workflows.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lukasz M. Mazur
- School of Information and Library Science, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill
- Carolina Health Informatics Program, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill
- Division of Healthcare Engineering, Department of Radiation Oncology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill
| | - Prithima R. Mosaly
- School of Information and Library Science, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill
- Carolina Health Informatics Program, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill
- Division of Healthcare Engineering, Department of Radiation Oncology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill
| | - Carlton Moore
- School of Information and Library Science, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill
- Carolina Health Informatics Program, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill
- Division of General Medicine, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill
| | - Lawrence Marks
- Division of Healthcare Engineering, Department of Radiation Oncology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill
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Abstract
The To Err Is Human report stated that 98 000 patients die yearly because of medical errors, and that medication errors kill more people than workplace injuries. The inadequate design and utilization of the electronic health record have been identified as major contributing factors to medical errors. Increased cognitive workload of clinicians has consistently been linked to the occurrence of medical errors. The purpose of this article was to synthesize the current state of the science on measuring clinicians' cognitive workload associated with using electronic health records in order to inform evidence-based guidelines. The major considerations identified in the literature involve the use of psychometric instruments, using efficiency as a proxy for cognitive workload, and eye tracking. The National Aeronautics and Space Administration Task Load Index was the most used psychometric instrument, but reliability measures were not reported. It is important to evaluate reliability of psychometric instruments because the consistency of the instrument can change when administered to different populations. Efficiency is an observable measure defined by the total time to complete a task and the total number of physical interactions with the user interface. Efficiency can allow the use of statistical modeling, but it does not directly evaluate the mental activity associated with using an electronic health record interface. Eye tracking has been used extensively in the literature to measure cognitive workload via changes in pupil size related to mental activity, but it is not often used to measure the cognitive workload associated with using the electronic health record. Eye tracking is very useful for continuous monitoring of cognitive workload.
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Shah T, Patel-Teague S, Kroupa L, Meyer AND, Singh H. Impact of a national QI programme on reducing electronic health record notifications to clinicians. BMJ Qual Saf 2019; 28:10-14. [PMID: 29507122 PMCID: PMC6365918 DOI: 10.1136/bmjqs-2017-007447] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2017] [Revised: 01/08/2018] [Accepted: 01/19/2018] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Emerging evidence suggests electronic health record (EHR)-related information overload is a risk to patient safety. In the US Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), EHR-based 'inbox' notifications originally intended for communicating important clinical information are now cited by 70% of primary care practitioners (PCPs) to be of unmanageable volume. We evaluated the impact of a national, multicomponent, quality improvement (QI) programme to reduce low-value EHR notifications. METHODS The programme involved three steps: (1) accessing daily PCP notification load data at all 148 facilities operated nationally by the VA; (2) standardising and restricting mandatory notification types at all facilities to a recommended list; and (3) hands-on training for all PCPs on customising and processing notifications more effectively. Designated leaders at each of VA's 18 regional networks led programme implementation using a nationally developed toolkit. Each network supervised technical requirements and data collection, ensuring consistency. Coaching calls and emails allowed the national team to address implementation challenges and monitor effects. We analysed notification load and mandatory notifications preintervention (March 2017) and immediately postintervention (June-July 2017) to assess programme impact. RESULTS Median number of mandatory notification types at each facility decreased significantly from 15 (IQR: 13-19) to 10 (IQR: 10-11) preintervention to postintervention, respectively (P<0.001). Mean daily notifications per PCP decreased significantly from 128 (SEM=4) to 116 (SEM=4; P<0.001). Heterogeneity in implementation across sites led to differences in observed programme impact, including potentially beneficial carryover effects. CONCLUSIONS Based on prior estimates on time to process notifications, a national QI programme potentially saved 1.5 hours per week per PCP to enable higher value work. The number of daily notifications remained high, suggesting the need for additional multifaceted interventions and protected clinical time to help manage them. Nevertheless, our project suggests feasibility of using large-scale 'de-implementation' interventions to reduce unintended safety or efficiency consequences of well-intended electronic communication systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tina Shah
- TNT Health Enterprises, Atlanta, GA (previously Department of Veterans Affairs, Washington, District of Columbia), USA
| | - Shilpa Patel-Teague
- VA Sunshine Network, Department of Veterans Affairs, St Petersburg, Florida, USA
| | - Laura Kroupa
- VA Heartland Network, Department of Veterans Affairs, Kansas City, Missouri and Saint Louis University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri, USA
| | - Ashley N D Meyer
- Center for Innovations in Quality, Effectiveness and Safety, Michael E DeBakey Veterans Affairs Medical Center and Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, USA
| | - Hardeep Singh
- Center for Innovations in Quality, Effectiveness and Safety, Michael E DeBakey Veterans Affairs Medical Center and Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, USA
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Kang H, Wang J, Yao B, Zhou S, Gong Y. Toward safer health care: a review strategy of FDA medical device adverse event database to identify and categorize health information technology related events. JAMIA Open 2018; 2:179-186. [PMID: 31984352 DOI: 10.1093/jamiaopen/ooy042] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/19/2018] [Revised: 08/22/2018] [Accepted: 09/18/2018] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Introduction Health information technology (HIT) is intended to provide safer and better care to patients. However, poorly designed or implemented HIT poses a key risk to patient safety. It is essential for healthcare providers and researchers to investigate the HIT-related events. Unfortunately, the lack of HIT-related event databases in the community hinders the analysis and management of HIT-related events. Objectives Develop a standardized process for identifying HIT-related events from a Federal Drug Administration (FDA) database in order to create an HIT exclusive database for analysis and learning. Methods The FDA Manufacturer and User Facility Device Experience (MAUDE) database, containing over 7-million reports about medical device malfunctions and problems leading to serious injury or death, was considered as a potential resource to identify HIT-related events. We developed a strategy of identifying and categorizing HIT-related events from the FDA reports through the application of a keyword filter and standardized expert review. Ten percent identified reports were reviewed to measure the consistency among experts and to initialize a database for HIT-related events. Results With the proposed strategy, we initialized an HIT-related event database with over 3500 reports, and updated the estimation of the HIT-related event proportion in the FDA MAUDE database to 0.46∼0.69%, up to 50,000 HIT-related events. Conclusion The proposed strategy for HIT-related event identification holds promise in aiding the understanding, characterization, discovery, and reporting of HIT-related events toward improved patient safety. The analysis of contributing factors under the 8-dimensional sociotechnical model shows that hardware and software, clinical content, and human-computer interface were identified more frequently than the other dimensions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hong Kang
- School of Biomedical Informatics, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, Texas, USA
| | - Ju Wang
- School of Biomedical Informatics, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, Texas, USA
| | - Bin Yao
- School of Biomedical Informatics, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, Texas, USA
| | - Sicheng Zhou
- School of Biomedical Informatics, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, Texas, USA
| | - Yang Gong
- School of Biomedical Informatics, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, Texas, USA
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Bittar PG, Nicholas MW. The burden of inbox-messaging systems and its effect on work-life balance in dermatology. J Am Acad Dermatol 2018; 79:361-363.e1. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jaad.2017.12.026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/13/2017] [Revised: 12/01/2017] [Accepted: 12/10/2017] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
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Nicholson BD, Goyder CR, Bankhead CR, Toftegaard BS, Rose PW, Thulesius H, Vedsted P, Perera R. Responsibility for follow-up during the diagnostic process in primary care: a secondary analysis of International Cancer Benchmarking Partnership data. Br J Gen Pract 2018; 68:e323-e332. [PMID: 29686134 PMCID: PMC5916079 DOI: 10.3399/bjgp18x695813] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/22/2017] [Accepted: 12/05/2017] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND It is unclear to what extent primary care practitioners (PCPs) should retain responsibility for follow-up to ensure that patients are monitored until their symptoms or signs are explained. AIM To explore the extent to which PCPs retain responsibility for diagnostic follow-up actions across 11 international jurisdictions. DESIGN AND SETTING A secondary analysis of survey data from the International Cancer Benchmarking Partnership. METHOD The authors counted the proportion of 2879 PCPs who retained responsibility for each area of follow-up (appointments, test results, and non-attenders). Proportions were weighted by the sample size of each jurisdiction. Pooled estimates were obtained using a random-effects model, and UK estimates were compared with non-UK ones. Free-text responses were analysed to contextualise quantitative findings using a modified grounded theory approach. RESULTS PCPs varied in their retention of responsibility for follow-up from 19% to 97% across jurisdictions and area of follow-up. Test reconciliation was inadequate in most jurisdictions. Significantly fewer UK PCPs retained responsibility for test result communication (73% versus 85%, P = 0.04) and non-attender follow-up (78% versus 93%, P<0.01) compared with non-UK PCPs. PCPs have developed bespoke, inconsistent solutions to follow-up. In cases of greatest concern, 'double safety netting' is described, where both patient and PCP retain responsibility. CONCLUSION The degree to which PCPs retain responsibility for follow-up is dependent on their level of concern about the patient and their primary care system's properties. Integrated systems to support follow-up are at present underutilised, and research into their development, uptake, and effectiveness seems warranted.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brian D Nicholson
- Nuffield Department of Primary Care Health Sciences, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Clare R Goyder
- Nuffield Department of Primary Care Health Sciences, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Clare R Bankhead
- Nuffield Department of Primary Care Health Sciences, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | | | - Peter W Rose
- Nuffield Department of Primary Care Health Sciences, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Hans Thulesius
- Department of Clinical Sciences, Lund University, Växjö, Sweden
| | - Peter Vedsted
- Research Unit for General Practice, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Rafael Perera
- Nuffield Department of Primary Care Health Sciences, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
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A Systematic Review of Interventions to Follow-Up Test Results Pending at Discharge. J Gen Intern Med 2018; 33:750-758. [PMID: 29352419 PMCID: PMC5910344 DOI: 10.1007/s11606-017-4290-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2017] [Revised: 07/12/2017] [Accepted: 12/19/2017] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Patients are frequently discharged from the hospital before all test results have been finalized. Thirty to 40% of tests pending at discharge (TPADs) return potentially actionable results that could necessitate change in the patients' management, often unbeknownst to their physicians. Delayed follow-up of TPADs can lead to patient harm. We sought to synthesize the existing literature on interventions intended to improve the management of TPADs, including interventions designed to enhance documentation of TPADs, increase physician awareness when TPAD results finalize post-discharge, decrease adverse events related to missed TPADs, and increase physician satisfaction with TPAD management. METHODS We searched Medline, EMBASE, CINAHL, Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, Cochrane Database of Controlled Clinical Trials and Medline (January 1, 2000-November 10, 2016) for randomized controlled trials and prospective, controlled observational studies that evaluated interventions to improve follow-up of TPADs for adult patients discharged from acute care hospitals or emergency department settings. From each study we extracted characteristics of the intervention being evaluated and its impact on TPAD management. RESULTS Nine studies met the criteria for inclusion. Six studies evaluated electronic discharge summary templates with a designated field for documenting TPADs, and three of six of these studies reported a significant improvement in documentation of TPADs in discharge summaries in pre- and post-intervention analysis. One study reported that auditing discharge summaries and providing feedback to physicians were associated with improved TPAD documentation in discharge summaries. Two studies found that email alerts when TPADs were finalized improved physicians' awareness of the results and documentation of their follow-up actions. Of the four studies that assessed patient morbidity, two showed a positive effect; however, none specifically measured the impact of their interventions on downstream patient harm due to delayed follow-up of TPADs. Three studies surveyed physicians' attitudes towards the interventions, of which two studies reported improved physician satisfaction with TPAD management with the implementation of an enhanced discharge template and a notification system when TPADs finalize. DISCUSSION Discharge summary templates, educational interventions for discharging physicians, and email alerts when TPAD results are finalized show promise in improving management of TPADs. Given the complexity of the processes necessary to ensure follow-up of TPADs, rigorous evaluations of multifaceted interventions (e.g., improved discharge documentation of TPADs combined with email alerts when results become available) is needed.
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Moore CR, Farrag A, Ashkin E. Using Natural Language Processing to Extract Abnormal Results From Cancer Screening Reports. J Patient Saf 2018; 13:138-143. [PMID: 25025472 DOI: 10.1097/pts.0000000000000127] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Numerous studies show that follow-up of abnormal cancer screening results, such as mammography and Papanicolaou (Pap) smears, is frequently not performed in a timely manner. A contributing factor is that abnormal results may go unrecognized because they are buried in free-text documents in electronic medical records (EMRs), and, as a result, patients are lost to follow-up. By identifying abnormal results from free-text reports in EMRs and generating alerts to clinicians, natural language processing (NLP) technology has the potential for improving patient care. The goal of the current study was to evaluate the performance of NLP software for extracting abnormal results from free-text mammography and Pap smear reports stored in an EMR. METHODS A sample of 421 and 500 free-text mammography and Pap reports, respectively, were manually reviewed by a physician, and the results were categorized for each report. We tested the performance of NLP to extract results from the reports. The 2 assessments (criterion standard versus NLP) were compared to determine the precision, recall, and accuracy of NLP. RESULTS When NLP was compared with manual review for mammography reports, the results were as follows: precision, 98% (96%-99%); recall, 100% (98%-100%); and accuracy, 98% (96%-99%). For Pap smear reports, the precision, recall, and accuracy of NLP were all 100%. CONCLUSIONS Our study developed NLP models that accurately extract abnormal results from mammography and Pap smear reports. Plans include using NLP technology to generate real-time alerts and reminders for providers to facilitate timely follow-up of abnormal results.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carlton R Moore
- From the *Division of General Medicine and Clinical Epidemiology, Department of Medicine, School of Medicine, †The North Carolina Translational and Clinical Sciences Center, and ‡Department of family Medicine, School of Medicine, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina
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Primary Care Providers' Opening of Time-Sensitive Alerts Sent to Commercial Electronic Health Record InBaskets. J Gen Intern Med 2017; 32:1210-1219. [PMID: 28808942 PMCID: PMC5653559 DOI: 10.1007/s11606-017-4146-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/17/2017] [Revised: 06/30/2017] [Accepted: 07/19/2017] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Time-sensitive alerts are among the many types of clinical notifications delivered to physicians' secure InBaskets within commercial electronic health records (EHRs). A delayed alert review can impact patient safety and compromise care. OBJECTIVE To characterize factors associated with opening of non-interruptive time-sensitive alerts delivered into primary care provider (PCP) InBaskets. DESIGN AND PARTICIPANTS We analyzed data for 799 automated alerts. Alerts highlighted actionable medication concerns for older patients post-hospital discharge (2010-2011). These were study-generated alerts sent 3 days post-discharge to InBaskets for 75 PCPs across a multisite healthcare system, and represent a subset of all urgent InBasket notifications. MAIN MEASURES Using EHR access and audit logs to track alert opening, we performed bivariate and multivariate analyses calculating associations between patient characteristics, provider characteristics, contextual factors at the time of alert delivery (number of InBasket notifications, weekday), and alert opening within 24 h. KEY RESULTS At the time of alert delivery, the PCPs had a median of 69 InBasket notifications and had received a median of 379.8 notifications (IQR 295.0, 492.0) over the prior 7 days. Of the 799 alerts, 47.1% were opened within 24 h. Patients with longer hospital stays (>4 days) were marginally more likely to have alerts opened (OR 1.48 [95% CI 1.00-2.19]). Alerts delivered to PCPs whose InBaskets had a higher number of notifications at the time of alert delivery were significantly less likely to be opened within 24 h (top quartile >157 notifications: OR 0.34 [95% CI 0.18-0.61]; reference bottom quartile ≤42). Alerts delivered on Saturdays were also less likely to be opened within 24 h (OR 0.18 [CI 0.08-0.39]). CONCLUSIONS The number of total InBasket notifications and weekend delivery may impact the opening of time-sensitive EHR alerts. Further study is needed to support safe and effective approaches to care team management of InBasket notifications.
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Toward More Proactive Approaches to Safety in the Electronic Health Record Era. Jt Comm J Qual Patient Saf 2017; 43:540-547. [PMID: 28942779 DOI: 10.1016/j.jcjq.2017.06.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/25/2017] [Revised: 06/01/2017] [Accepted: 06/05/2017] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
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Ulmer CS, Bosworth HB, Beckham JC, Germain A, Jeffreys AS, Edelman D, Macy S, Kirby A, Voils CI. Veterans Affairs Primary Care Provider Perceptions of Insomnia Treatment. J Clin Sleep Med 2017; 13:991-999. [PMID: 28728623 DOI: 10.5664/jcsm.6702] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/07/2016] [Accepted: 06/20/2017] [Indexed: 11/13/2022]
Abstract
STUDY OBJECTIVES Insomnia is a widespread issue among United States adults and rates of insomnia among veterans are even higher than the general population. Prior research examining primary care provider (PCP) perspectives on insomnia treatment found that: sleep hygiene and pharmacotherapy are the primary treatments offered; PCPs tend to focus on perceived causes of insomnia rather than the insomnia itself; and neither patients nor providers are satisfied with insomnia treatment options. Although insomnia complaints are typically first reported to primary care providers, little research has focused on perspectives regarding insomnia treatment among PCPs working in the largest integrated health care system in the United States-the Veterans Affairs (VA) health care system. This study was conducted to examine VA PCP perceptions of the availability of insomnia treatments, identify specific strategies offered by PCPs, and examine perceptions regarding the importance of treating insomnia and the role of comorbid conditions. METHODS A survey was conducted within the VA health care system. Primary care providers completed surveys electronically. RESULTS A high percentage of veterans (modal response = 20% to 39%) seen in VA primary care settings report an insomnia complaint to their provider. Almost half of respondents do not consistently document insomnia in the medical record (46% endorsed "sometimes," "rarely," or "never"). PCPs routinely advise sleep hygiene recommendations for insomnia (ie, avoid stimulants before bedtime [84.3%], and keep the bedroom environment quiet and dark and comfortable [68.6%]) and many are uncertain if cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia is available at their facility (43.1%). CONCLUSIONS Findings point to the need for systems-level changes within health care systems, including the adoption of evidence-based clinical practice standards for insomnia and PCP education about the processes that maintain insomnia. COMMENTARY A commentary on this article appears in this issue on page 937.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christi S Ulmer
- Durham VA Health Services Research and Development, Durham, North Carolina.,Duke University Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Durham, North Carolina
| | - Hayden B Bosworth
- Durham VA Health Services Research and Development, Durham, North Carolina.,Duke University School of Nursing, Durham, North Carolina
| | - Jean C Beckham
- Duke University Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Durham, North Carolina.,Veterans Affairs VISN 6 Mental Illness Research, Education, and Clinical Center, Durham, North Carolina
| | - Anne Germain
- University of Pittsburgh, Department of Psychiatry, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
| | - Amy S Jeffreys
- Durham VA Health Services Research and Development, Durham, North Carolina
| | - David Edelman
- Durham VA Health Services Research and Development, Durham, North Carolina.,Department of Medicine, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina
| | - Stephanie Macy
- Durham VA Health Services Research and Development, Durham, North Carolina
| | - Angela Kirby
- Veterans Affairs VISN 6 Mental Illness Research, Education, and Clinical Center, Durham, North Carolina
| | - Corrine I Voils
- William S. Middleton Memorial Veterans Hospital, Madison, Wisconsin.,Department of Surgery, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin
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Gregory ME, Russo E, Singh H. Electronic Health Record Alert-Related Workload as a Predictor of Burnout in Primary Care Providers. Appl Clin Inform 2017; 8:686-697. [PMID: 28678892 DOI: 10.4338/aci-2017-01-ra-0003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 110] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/03/2017] [Accepted: 04/21/2017] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Electronic health records (EHRs) have been shown to increase physician workload. One EHR feature that contributes to increased workload is asynchronous alerts (also known as inbox notifications) related to test results, referral responses, medication refill requests, and messages from physicians and other health care professionals. This alert-related workload results in negative cognitive outcomes, but its effect on affective outcomes, such as burnout, has been understudied. OBJECTIVES To examine EHR alert-related workload (both objective and subjective) as a predictor of burnout in primary care providers (PCPs), in order to ultimately inform interventions aimed at reducing burnout due to alert workload. METHODS A cross-sectional questionnaire and focus group of 16 PCPs at a large medical center in the southern United States. RESULTS Subjective, but not objective, alert workload was related to two of the three dimensions of burnout, including physical fatigue (p = 0.02) and cognitive weariness (p = 0.04), when controlling for organizational tenure. To reduce alert workload and subsequent burnout, participants indicated a desire to have protected time for alert management, fewer unnecessary alerts, and improvements to the EHR system. CONCLUSIONS Burnout associated with alert workload may be in part due to subjective differences at an individual level, and not solely a function of the objective work environment. This suggests the need for both individual and organizational-level interventions to improve alert workload and subsequent burnout. Additional research should confirm these findings in larger, more representative samples.
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Affiliation(s)
- Megan E Gregory
- Megan E. Gregory, Ph.D., Center for Innovations in Quality, Effectiveness and Safety, Michael E. DeBakey VA Medical Center, Baylor College of Medicine, 2450 Holcombe Blvd, Suite 01Y, Houston, Texas 77021, , Phone: (713) 794-8601 ext. 10232
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Boggan JC, Swaminathan A, Thomas S, Simel DL, Zaas AK, Bae JG. Improving Timely Resident Follow-Up and Communication of Results in Ambulatory Clinics Utilizing a Web-Based Audit and Feedback Module. J Grad Med Educ 2017; 9:195-200. [PMID: 28439353 PMCID: PMC5398151 DOI: 10.4300/jgme-d-16-00460.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2016] [Revised: 10/30/2016] [Accepted: 11/13/2016] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Failure to follow up and communicate test results to patients in outpatient settings may lead to diagnostic and therapeutic delays. Residents are less likely than attending physicians to report results to patients, and may face additional barriers to reporting, given competing clinical responsibilities. OBJECTIVE This study aimed to improve the rates of communicating test results to patients in resident ambulatory clinics. METHODS We performed an internal medicine, residency-wide, pre- and postintervention, quality improvement project using audit and feedback. Residents performed audits of ambulatory patients requiring laboratory or radiologic testing by means of a shared online interface. The intervention consisted of an educational module viewed with initial audits, development of a personalized improvement plan after Phase 1, and repeated real-time feedback of individual relative performance compared at clinic and program levels. Outcomes included results communicated within 14 days and prespecified "significant" results communicated within 72 hours. RESULTS A total of 76 of 86 eligible residents (88%) reviewed 1713 individual ambulatory patients' charts in Phase 1, and 73 residents (85%) reviewed 1509 charts in Phase 2. Follow-up rates were higher in Phase 2 than Phase 1 for communicating results within 14 days and significant results within 72 hours (85% versus 78%, P < .001; and 82% versus 70%, P = .002, respectively). Communication of "significant" results was more likely to occur via telephone, compared with communication of nonsignificant results. CONCLUSIONS Participation in a shared audit and feedback quality improvement project can improve rates of resident follow-up and communication of results, although communication gaps remained.
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Murphy DR, Meyer AND, Vaghani V, Russo E, Sittig DF, Richards KA, Wei L, Wu L, Singh H. Application of Electronic Algorithms to Improve Diagnostic Evaluation for Bladder Cancer. Appl Clin Inform 2017; 8:279-290. [PMID: 28326433 PMCID: PMC5373770 DOI: 10.4338/aci-2016-10-ra-0176] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/20/2016] [Accepted: 01/13/2017] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Strategies to ensure timely diagnostic evaluation of hematuria are needed to reduce delays in bladder cancer diagnosis. OBJECTIVE To evaluate the performance of electronic trigger algorithms to detect delays in hematuria follow-up. METHODS We developed a computerized trigger to detect delayed follow-up action on a urinalysis result with high-grade hematuria (>50 red blood cells/high powered field). The trigger scanned clinical data within a Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) national data repository to identify all patient records with hematuria, then excluded those where follow-up was unnecessary (e.g., terminal illness) or where typical follow-up action was detected (e.g., cystoscopy). We manually reviewed a randomly-selected sample of flagged records to confirm delays. We performed a similar analysis of records with hematuria that were marked as not delayed (non-triggered). We used review findings to calculate trigger performance. RESULTS Of 310,331 patients seen between 1/1/2012-12/31/2014, the trigger identified 5,857 patients who experienced high-grade hematuria, of which 495 experienced a delay. On manual review of 400 randomly-selected triggered records and 100 non-triggered records, the trigger achieved positive and negative predictive values of 58% and 97%, respectively. CONCLUSIONS Triggers offer a promising method to detect delays in care of patients with high-grade hematuria and warrant further evaluation in clinical practice as a means to reduce delays in bladder cancer diagnosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel R Murphy
- Daniel R. Murphy, MD MBA, Michael E. DeBakey Veterans Affairs Medical Center (MEDVAMC), Houston Center for Innovations in Quality, Effectiveness & Safety (IQuESt) (152), 2002 Holcombe Boulevard, Houston, TX 77030 USA, 713-440-4600 (o), 713-748-7359 (f),
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Sittig DF, Wright A, Ash J, Singh H. New Unintended Adverse Consequences of Electronic Health Records. Yearb Med Inform 2016:7-12. [PMID: 27830226 DOI: 10.15265/iy-2016-023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Although the health information technology industry has made considerable progress in the design, development, implementation, and use of electronic health records (EHRs), the lofty expectations of the early pioneers have not been met. In 2006, the Provider Order Entry Team at Oregon Health & Science University described a set of unintended adverse consequences (UACs), or unpredictable, emergent problems associated with computer-based provider order entry implementation, use, and maintenance. Many of these originally identified UACs have not been completely addressed or alleviated, some have evolved over time, and some new ones have emerged as EHRs became more widely available. The rapid increase in the adoption of EHRs, coupled with the changes in the types and attitudes of clinical users, has led to several new UACs, specifically: complete clinical information unavailable at the point of care; lack of innovations to improve system usability leading to frustrating user experiences; inadvertent disclosure of large amounts of patient-specific information; increased focus on computer-based quality measurement negatively affecting clinical workflows and patient-provider interactions; information overload from marginally useful computer-generated data; and a decline in the development and use of internally-developed EHRs. While each of these new UACs poses significant challenges to EHR developers and users alike, they also offer many opportunities. The challenge for clinical informatics researchers is to continue to refine our current systems while exploring new methods of overcoming these challenges and developing innovations to improve EHR interoperability, usability, security, functionality, clinical quality measurement, and information summarization and display.
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Affiliation(s)
- D F Sittig
- Dean F. Sittig, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, School of Biomedical Informatics, and UT-Memorial Hermann Center for Health Care Quality, and Safety, Houston, Texas, USA, E-mail:
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Menon S, Murphy DR, Singh H, Meyer AND, Sittig DF. Workarounds and Test Results Follow-up in Electronic Health Record-Based Primary Care. Appl Clin Inform 2016; 7:543-59. [PMID: 27437060 DOI: 10.4338/aci-2015-10-ra-0135] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/22/2015] [Accepted: 04/05/2016] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Electronic health records (EHRs) have potential to facilitate reliable communication and follow-up of test results. However, limitations in EHR functionality remain, leading practitioners to use workarounds while managing test results. Workarounds can lead to patient safety concerns and signify indications as to how to build better EHR systems that meet provider needs. OBJECTIVE To understand why primary care practitioners (PCPs) use workarounds to manage test results by analyzing data from a previously conducted national cross-sectional survey on test result management. METHODS We conducted a secondary data analysis of quantitative and qualitative data from a national survey of PCPs practicing in the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and explored the use of workarounds in test results management. We used multivariate logistic regression analysis to examine the association between key sociotechnical factors that could affect test results follow-up (e.g., both technology-related and those unrelated to technology, such as organizational support for patient notification) and workaround use. We conducted a qualitative content analysis of free text survey data to examine reasons for use of workarounds. RESULTS Of 2554 survey respondents, 1104 (43%) reported using workarounds related to test results management. Of these 1028 (93%) described the type of workaround they were using; 719 (70%) reported paper-based methods, while 230 (22%) used a combination of paper- and computer-based workarounds. Primary care practitioners who self-reported limited administrative support to help them notify patients of test results or described an instance where they personally (or a colleague) missed results, were more likely to use workarounds (p=0.02 and p=0.001, respectively). Qualitative analysis identified three main reasons for workaround use: 1) as a memory aid, 2) for improved efficiency and 3) for facilitating internal and external care coordination. CONCLUSION Workarounds to manage EHR-based test results are common, and their use results from unmet provider information management needs. Future EHRs and the respective work systems around them need to evolve to meet these needs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shailaja Menon
- Houston Veterans Affairs Center for Innovations in Quality, Effectiveness and Safety, Michael E. DeBakey Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Houston, Texas; Section of Health Services Research, Department of Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas
| | - Daniel R Murphy
- Houston Veterans Affairs Center for Innovations in Quality, Effectiveness and Safety, Michael E. DeBakey Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Houston, Texas; Section of Health Services Research, Department of Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas
| | - Hardeep Singh
- Houston Veterans Affairs Center for Innovations in Quality, Effectiveness and Safety, Michael E. DeBakey Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Houston, Texas; Section of Health Services Research, Department of Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas
| | - Ashley N D Meyer
- Houston Veterans Affairs Center for Innovations in Quality, Effectiveness and Safety, Michael E. DeBakey Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Houston, Texas; Section of Health Services Research, Department of Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas
| | - Dean F Sittig
- The University of Texas - Memorial Hermann Center for Healthcare Quality & Safety, School of Biomedical Informatics, University of Texas Health Sciences Center , Houston, Texas
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Vest JR, Ancker JS. Health information exchange in the wild: the association between organizational capability and perceived utility of clinical event notifications in ambulatory and community care. J Am Med Inform Assoc 2016; 24:39-46. [PMID: 27107436 DOI: 10.1093/jamia/ocw040] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/03/2015] [Revised: 01/14/2016] [Accepted: 02/17/2016] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Event notifications are real-time, electronic, automatic alerts to providers of their patients' health care encounters at other facilities. Our objective was to examine the effects of organizational capability and related social/organizational issues upon users' perceptions of the impact of event notifications on quality, efficiency, and satisfaction. MATERIALS AND METHODS We surveyed representatives (n = 49) of 10 organizations subscribing to the Bronx Regional Health Information Organization's event notification services about organizational capabilities, notification information quality, perceived usage, perceived impact, and organizational and respondent characteristics. The response rate was 89%. Average item scores were used to create an individual domain summary score. The association between the impact of event notifications and organizational characteristics was modeled using random-intercept logistic regression models. RESULTS Respondents estimated that organizations followed up on the majority (83%) of event notifications. Supportive organizational policies were associated with the perception that event notifications improved quality of care (odds ratio [OR] = 2.12; 95% CI, = 1.05, 4.45), efficiency (OR = 2.06; 95% CI = 1.00, 4.21), and patient satisfaction (OR = 2.56; 95% CI = 1.13, 5.81). Higher quality of event notification information was also associated with a perceived positive impact on quality of care (OR = 2.84; 95% CI = 1.31, 6.12), efficiency (OR = 3.04; 95% CI = 1.38, 6.69), and patient satisfaction (OR = 2.96; 95% CI = 1.25, 7.03). CONCLUSIONS Health care organizations with appropriate processes, workflows, and staff may be better positioned to use event notifications. Additionally, information quality remains critical in users' assessments and perceptions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joshua R Vest
- Department of Health Care Policy and Management, Indiana University Richard M Fairbanks School of Public Health at IUPUI .,Regenstrief Institute, Inc. Indianapolis, IN, USA
| | - Jessica S Ancker
- Department of Healthcare Policy & Research Division of Health Informatics, Weill Cornell Medical College, 425 E 61st St, Suite 301, New York, NY 10065, USA
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Murphy DR, Meyer AND, Russo E, Sittig DF, Wei L, Singh H. The Burden of Inbox Notifications in Commercial Electronic Health Records. JAMA Intern Med 2016; 176:559-60. [PMID: 26974737 PMCID: PMC4860883 DOI: 10.1001/jamainternmed.2016.0209] [Citation(s) in RCA: 73] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Daniel R Murphy
- Houston Veterans Affairs Center for Innovations in Quality, Effectiveness, and Safety, Michael E DeBakey Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Houston, Texas2Department of Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas
| | - Ashley N D Meyer
- Houston Veterans Affairs Center for Innovations in Quality, Effectiveness, and Safety, Michael E DeBakey Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Houston, Texas2Department of Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas
| | - Elise Russo
- Houston Veterans Affairs Center for Innovations in Quality, Effectiveness, and Safety, Michael E DeBakey Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Houston, Texas2Department of Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas
| | - Dean F Sittig
- University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston's School of Biomedical Informatics4University of Texas-Memorial Hermann Center for Healthcare Quality and Safety, Houston
| | - Li Wei
- Houston Veterans Affairs Center for Innovations in Quality, Effectiveness, and Safety, Michael E DeBakey Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Houston, Texas2Department of Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas
| | - Hardeep Singh
- Houston Veterans Affairs Center for Innovations in Quality, Effectiveness, and Safety, Michael E DeBakey Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Houston, Texas2Department of Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas
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Barnett ML, Mehrotra A, Frolkis JP, Spinks M, Steiger C, Hehir B, Greenberg JO, Singh H. Implementation Science Workshop: Implementation of an Electronic Referral System in a Large Academic Medical Center. J Gen Intern Med 2016; 31:343-52. [PMID: 26556594 PMCID: PMC4762816 DOI: 10.1007/s11606-015-3516-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Michael L Barnett
- Division of General Internal Medicine and Primary Care, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA.
- Department of Health Care Policy, Harvard Medical School, 180A Longwood Ave., Boston, MA, 02115, USA.
| | - Ateev Mehrotra
- Department of Health Care Policy, Harvard Medical School, 180A Longwood Ave., Boston, MA, 02115, USA
| | - Joseph P Frolkis
- Division of General Internal Medicine and Primary Care, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
| | | | - Casey Steiger
- Brigham and Women's Physicians Organization, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Brandon Hehir
- Brigham and Women's Physicians Organization, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Jeffrey O Greenberg
- Division of General Internal Medicine and Primary Care, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
- Brigham and Women's Physicians Organization, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Hardeep Singh
- Houston Veterans Affairs Center for Innovations in Quality, Effectiveness and Safety, Michael E. DeBakey Veterans Affairs Medical Center and Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
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Hysong SJ, Thomas CL, Spitzmüller C, Amspoker AB, Woodard L, Modi V, Naik AD. Linking clinician interaction and coordination to clinical performance in Patient-Aligned Care Teams. Implement Sci 2016; 11:7. [PMID: 26772972 PMCID: PMC4714534 DOI: 10.1186/s13012-015-0368-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/09/2015] [Accepted: 12/31/2015] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Team coordination within clinical care settings is a critical component of effective patient care. Less is known about the extent, effectiveness, and impact of coordination activities among professionals within VA Patient-Aligned Care Teams (PACTs). This study will address these gaps by describing the specific, fundamental tasks and practices involved in PACT coordination, their impact on performance measures, and the role of coordination task complexity. Methods/design First, we will use a web-based survey of coordination practices among 1600 PACTs in the national VHA. Survey findings will characterize PACT coordination practices and assess their association with clinical performance measures. Functional job analysis, using 6–8 subject matter experts who are 3rd and 4th year residents in VA Primary Care rotations, will be utilized to identify the tasks involved in completing clinical performance measures to standard. From this, expert ratings of coordination complexity will be used to determine the level of coordinative complexity required for each of the clinical performance measures drawn from the VA External Peer Review Program (EPRP). For objective 3, data collected from the first two methods will evaluate the effect of clinical complexity on the relationships between measures of PACT coordination and their ratings on the clinical performance measures. Discussion Results from this study will support successful implementation of coordinated team-based work in clinical settings by providing knowledge regarding which aspects of care require the most complex levels of coordination and how specific coordination practices impact clinical performance. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s13012-015-0368-0) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sylvia J Hysong
- Center for Innovations in Quality, Effectiveness and Safety, Michael E. DeBakey Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Houston, TX, USA. .,Department of Medicine, Health Services Research Section, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA.
| | - Candice L Thomas
- Department of Psychology, University of Houston, Houston, TX, USA.
| | | | - Amber B Amspoker
- Center for Innovations in Quality, Effectiveness and Safety, Michael E. DeBakey Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Houston, TX, USA. .,Department of Medicine, Health Services Research Section, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA.
| | - LeChauncy Woodard
- Center for Innovations in Quality, Effectiveness and Safety, Michael E. DeBakey Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Houston, TX, USA. .,Department of Medicine, Health Services Research Section, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA.
| | - Varsha Modi
- Center for Innovations in Quality, Effectiveness and Safety, Michael E. DeBakey Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Houston, TX, USA. .,Department of Medicine, Health Services Research Section, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA.
| | - Aanand D Naik
- Center for Innovations in Quality, Effectiveness and Safety, Michael E. DeBakey Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Houston, TX, USA. .,Department of Medicine, Health Services Research Section, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA.
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Gold M, Hossain M, Mangum A. Consumer Engagement in Health IT: Distinguishing Rhetoric from Reality. EGEMS (WASHINGTON, DC) 2015; 3:1190. [PMID: 26665120 PMCID: PMC4672873 DOI: 10.13063/2327-9214.1190] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
RATIONALE Policymakers want health information technology (health IT) to support consumer engagement to help achieve national health goals. In this paper, we review the evidence to compare the rhetoric with the reality of current practice. CURRENT REALITY AND BARRIERS Our environmental scan shows that consumer demand exists for electronic access to personal health information, but that technical and system or political barriers still limit the value of the available information and its potential benefits. CONCLUSIONS AND POLICY IMPLICATIONS There is a gap between current reality and the goals for consumer engagement. Actions that may help bridge this gap include: (1) resolving technical barriers to health information exchange (HIE); (2) developing more consumer-centric design and functionality; (3) reinforcing incentives that attract provider support by showing that consumer engagement is in their interest; and (4) building a stronger empirical case to convince decision makers that consumer engagement will lead to better care, improved health outcomes, and lower costs.
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Abstract
IMPORTANCE Patients are increasingly being given access to their test results, but little is known about how preferences vary with the test under consideration or the results of the test (normal or abnormal). OBJECTIVE This study was conducted to examine preferences for test result communication. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS We surveyed adults to explore their preferences for test result notification for three common diagnostic tests of varying "emotional impact" (dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry [DXA], genital herpes, and cancer biopsy) when test results were 1) normal and 2) abnormal. We conducted our survey between June and August 2012 on the campus of an academic medical center. For each scenario, subjects were asked to rank seven methods that might be used to communicate test results (letter, unsecured email, secured email, text message, telephone call, secure Web portal, office visit) in order of acceptability. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES The main measures were the percentage of respondents who ranked a particular test result notification method favorably and the percentage who ranked it as unacceptable. RESULTS When test results were normal, subjects' notification preferences were generally similar for DXA, herpes and cancer biopsy, with telephone and letter ranked most favorably for all three tests. Conversely, text message and unsecured email were viewed as unacceptable notification methods for normal results by 45.0-55.0 % of subjects across all three tests. When test results were abnormal, office visits became more popular. A higher proportion of subjects ranked office visits as their most preferred notification method for our test with high "emotional impact" (cancer biopsy) (38.4 %) as compared to DXA (28.2 %) and herpes (27.9 %) (P = 0.02). For most test scenarios, younger subjects appeared to rank electronic communication modalities (secure email or Web portal) higher than older subjects, though this difference did not reach statistical significance (P = 0.29). CONCLUSIONS Preferences for test result notification can differ substantially depending upon the test under consideration and results of the test. Providers and health care systems should consider these factors when deciding how to communicate results to patients.
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Murphy DR, Wu L, Thomas EJ, Forjuoh SN, Meyer AND, Singh H. Electronic Trigger-Based Intervention to Reduce Delays in Diagnostic Evaluation for Cancer: A Cluster Randomized Controlled Trial. J Clin Oncol 2015; 33:3560-7. [PMID: 26304875 PMCID: PMC4622097 DOI: 10.1200/jco.2015.61.1301] [Citation(s) in RCA: 64] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
PURPOSE We tested whether prospective use of electronic health record-based trigger algorithms to identify patients at risk of diagnostic delays could prevent delays in diagnostic evaluation for cancer. METHODS We performed a cluster randomized controlled trial of primary care providers (PCPs) at two sites to test whether triggers that prospectively identify patients with potential delays in diagnostic evaluation for lung, colorectal, or prostate cancer can reduce time to follow-up diagnostic evaluation. Intervention steps included queries of the electronic health record repository for patients with abnormal findings and lack of associated follow-up actions, manual review of triggered records, and communication of this information to PCPs via secure e-mail and, if needed, phone calls to ensure message receipt. We compared times to diagnostic evaluation and proportions of patients followed up between intervention and control cohorts based on final review at 7 months. RESULTS We recruited 72 PCPs (36 in the intervention group and 36 in the control group) and applied the trigger to all patients under their care from April 20, 2011, to July 19, 2012. Of 10,673 patients with abnormal findings, the trigger flagged 1,256 patients (11.8%) as high risk for delayed diagnostic evaluation. Times to diagnostic evaluation were significantly lower in intervention patients compared with control patients flagged by the colorectal trigger (median, 104 v 200 days, respectively; n = 557; P < .001) and prostate trigger (40% received evaluation at 144 v 192 days, respectively; n = 157; P < .001) but not the lung trigger (median, 65 v 93 days, respectively; n = 19; P = .59). More intervention patients than control patients received diagnostic evaluation by final review (73.4% v 52.2%, respectively; relative risk, 1.41; 95% CI, 1.25 to 1.58). CONCLUSION Electronic trigger-based interventions seem to be effective in reducing time to diagnostic evaluation of colorectal and prostate cancer as well as improving the proportion of patients who receive follow-up. Similar interventions could improve timeliness of diagnosis of other serious conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel R Murphy
- Daniel R. Murphy, Louis Wu, Ashley N.D. Meyer, and Hardeep Singh, Houston Veterans Affairs Health Services Research and Development, Michael E. DeBakey Veterans Affairs Medical Center, and Section of Health Services Research, Baylor College of Medicine; Eric J. Thomas, University of Texas Houston Medical School and University of Texas Houston-Memorial Hermann Center for Healthcare Quality and Safety, Houston; and Samuel N. Forjuoh, Scott and White Healthcare, Texas A&M Health Science Center, College of Medicine, Temple, TX
| | - Louis Wu
- Daniel R. Murphy, Louis Wu, Ashley N.D. Meyer, and Hardeep Singh, Houston Veterans Affairs Health Services Research and Development, Michael E. DeBakey Veterans Affairs Medical Center, and Section of Health Services Research, Baylor College of Medicine; Eric J. Thomas, University of Texas Houston Medical School and University of Texas Houston-Memorial Hermann Center for Healthcare Quality and Safety, Houston; and Samuel N. Forjuoh, Scott and White Healthcare, Texas A&M Health Science Center, College of Medicine, Temple, TX
| | - Eric J Thomas
- Daniel R. Murphy, Louis Wu, Ashley N.D. Meyer, and Hardeep Singh, Houston Veterans Affairs Health Services Research and Development, Michael E. DeBakey Veterans Affairs Medical Center, and Section of Health Services Research, Baylor College of Medicine; Eric J. Thomas, University of Texas Houston Medical School and University of Texas Houston-Memorial Hermann Center for Healthcare Quality and Safety, Houston; and Samuel N. Forjuoh, Scott and White Healthcare, Texas A&M Health Science Center, College of Medicine, Temple, TX
| | - Samuel N Forjuoh
- Daniel R. Murphy, Louis Wu, Ashley N.D. Meyer, and Hardeep Singh, Houston Veterans Affairs Health Services Research and Development, Michael E. DeBakey Veterans Affairs Medical Center, and Section of Health Services Research, Baylor College of Medicine; Eric J. Thomas, University of Texas Houston Medical School and University of Texas Houston-Memorial Hermann Center for Healthcare Quality and Safety, Houston; and Samuel N. Forjuoh, Scott and White Healthcare, Texas A&M Health Science Center, College of Medicine, Temple, TX
| | - Ashley N D Meyer
- Daniel R. Murphy, Louis Wu, Ashley N.D. Meyer, and Hardeep Singh, Houston Veterans Affairs Health Services Research and Development, Michael E. DeBakey Veterans Affairs Medical Center, and Section of Health Services Research, Baylor College of Medicine; Eric J. Thomas, University of Texas Houston Medical School and University of Texas Houston-Memorial Hermann Center for Healthcare Quality and Safety, Houston; and Samuel N. Forjuoh, Scott and White Healthcare, Texas A&M Health Science Center, College of Medicine, Temple, TX
| | - Hardeep Singh
- Daniel R. Murphy, Louis Wu, Ashley N.D. Meyer, and Hardeep Singh, Houston Veterans Affairs Health Services Research and Development, Michael E. DeBakey Veterans Affairs Medical Center, and Section of Health Services Research, Baylor College of Medicine; Eric J. Thomas, University of Texas Houston Medical School and University of Texas Houston-Memorial Hermann Center for Healthcare Quality and Safety, Houston; and Samuel N. Forjuoh, Scott and White Healthcare, Texas A&M Health Science Center, College of Medicine, Temple, TX.
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Zammar SG, El Tecle NE, El Ahmadieh TY, Adelson PD, Veznedaroglu E, Surdell DL, Harrop JS, Benes V, Rezai AR, Resnick DK, Bendok BR. Impact of a Vascular Neurosurgery Simulation-Based Course on Cognitive Knowledge and Technical Skills in European Neurosurgical Trainees. World Neurosurg 2015; 84:197-201. [DOI: 10.1016/j.wneu.2014.12.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/15/2014] [Revised: 10/31/2014] [Accepted: 12/01/2014] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
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Wilkerson ML, Henricks WH, Castellani WJ, Whitsitt MS, Sinard JH. Management of laboratory data and information exchange in the electronic health record. Arch Pathol Lab Med 2015; 139:319-27. [PMID: 25724028 DOI: 10.5858/arpa.2013-0712-so] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
In the era of the electronic health record, the success of laboratories and pathologists will depend on effective presentation and management of laboratory information, including test orders and results, and effective exchange of data between the laboratory information system and the electronic health record. In this third paper of a series that explores empowerment of pathology in the era of the electronic health record, we review key elements of managing laboratory information within the electronic health record and examine functional issues pertinent to pathologists and laboratories in the exchange of laboratory information between electronic health records and both anatomic and clinical pathology laboratory information systems. Issues with electronic order-entry and results-reporting interfaces are described, and considerations for setting up these interfaces are detailed in tables. The role of the laboratory medical director as mandated by the Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments of 1988 and the impacts of discordance between laboratory results and their display in the electronic health record are also discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Myra L Wilkerson
- From the Division of Laboratory Medicine, Geisinger Health System, Danville, Pennsylvania (Dr Wilkerson); the Center for Pathology Informatics, Cleveland Clinic Foundation, Cleveland, Ohio (Dr Henricks); the Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Penn State Hershey Medical Center, Hershey, Pennsylvania (Dr Castellani); Diagnostic Intelligence and Health Information Technology Committee, The College of American Pathologists, Northfield, Illinois (Dr Whitsitt); and the Informatics Program, Department of Pathology, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut (Dr Sinard)
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50
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Callen J, Georgiou A, Li J, Westbrook JI. The Impact for Patient Outcomes of Failure to Follow Up on Test Results. How Can We Do Better? EJIFCC 2015; 26:38-46. [PMID: 27683480 PMCID: PMC4975222] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The World Health Organization-World Alliance for Patient Safety has identified test result management as a priority area. Poor test result follow-up can have major consequences for the quality of care, including missed diagnoses and suboptimal patient outcomes. Over the last three decades there has been considerable growth in the number of requests for pathology and radiology services which has added to the complexity of how patient care is delivered and test results are managed. This can contribute to a lack of clarity about where and with whom responsibility for test follow-up should reside: a problem that is compounded by a lack of clear definitions about what are critical, unexpected or significantly abnormal results. AIM OF THIS PAPER This paper will present a narrative review highlighting key issues related to the problem of failure to follow up laboratory test results, and outline potential solutions. CONCLUSIONS Information technology (IT) has the potential to enhance the performance and safety of test result management processes. Effective solutions must engage all stakeholders, including consumers, in arriving at decisions about who needs to receive results, how and when they are communicated, and how they are acknowledged and acted upon and the documentation of these actions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joanne Callen
- Associate Professor, Centre for Health Systems and Safety Research Australian Institute of Health Innovation Macquarie University Level 6, 75 Talavera Road Sydney, 2109 Australia
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