Using Electronic Medical Records and Physician Data to Improve Information Retrieval for Evidence-Based Care

Author(s):  
Mengqi Jin ◽  
Hongli Li ◽  
Christopher H. Schmid ◽  
Byron C. Wallace
2018 ◽  
Vol 69 (678) ◽  
pp. e33-e41 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dana Šumilo ◽  
Linda Nichols ◽  
Ronan Ryan ◽  
Tom Marshall

BackgroundNeither the incidence of indications for childhood tonsillectomy nor the proportion of tonsillectomies that are evidence-based is known.AimTo determine the incidence of indications for tonsillectomy in UK children, and the proportion of tonsillectomies meeting evidence-based criteria.Design and settingA retrospective cohort study of electronic medical records of children aged 0–15 years registered with 739 UK general practices contributing to a research database.MethodChildren with recorded indications for tonsillectomy were identified from electronic medical records. Evidence-based indications included documented sore throats of sufficient frequency and severity (Paradise criteria); periodic fever, aphthous stomatitis, pharyngitis, and cervical adenitis syndrome (PFAPA); or tonsillar tumour. Other indications were considered non-evidence-based. The numbers of children subsequently undergoing tonsillectomy was then identified. The numbers with evidence-based and non-evidence-based indications for surgery among children who had undergone tonsillectomy were determined.ResultsThe authors included 1 630 807 children followed up for 7 200 159 person–years between 2005 and 2016. Incidence of evidence-based indications for tonsillectomy was 4.2 per 1000 person years; 13.6% (2144/15 760) underwent tonsillectomy. Incidence of childhood tonsillectomy was 2.5 per 1000 person years; 11.7% (2144/18 281) had evidence-based indications, almost all with Paradise criteria. The proportion of evidence-based tonsillectomies was unchanged over 12 years. Most childhood tonsillectomies followed non-evidence-based indications: five to six sore throats (12.4%) in 1 year, two to four sore throats (44.6%) in 1 year, sleep disordered breathing (12.3%), or obstructive sleep apnoea (3.9%).ConclusionIn the UK, few children with evidence-based indications undergo tonsillectomy and seven in eight of those who do (32 500 of 37 000 annually) are unlikely to benefit.


10.2196/14483 ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 8 (3) ◽  
pp. e14483
Author(s):  
Leandra Falck ◽  
Marco Zoller ◽  
Thomas Rosemann ◽  
Nahara Anani Martínez-González ◽  
Corinne Chmiel

Background Long-term care for patients with chronic diseases poses a huge challenge in primary care. There are deficits in care, especially regarding monitoring and creating structured follow-ups. Appropriate electronic medical records (EMR) could support this, but so far, no generic evidence-based template exists. Objective The aim of this study is to develop an evidence-based standardized, generic template that improves the monitoring of patients with chronic conditions in primary care by means of an EMR. Methods We used an adapted Delphi procedure to evaluate a structured set of evidence-based monitoring indicators for 5 highly prevalent chronic diseases (ie, diabetes mellitus type 2, asthma, arterial hypertension, chronic heart failure, and osteoarthritis). We assessed the indicators’ utility in practice and summarized them into a user-friendly layout. Results This multistep procedure resulted in a monitoring tool consisting of condensed sets of indicators, which were divided into sublayers to maximize ergonomics. A cockpit serves as an overview of fixed goals and a set of procedures to facilitate disease management. An additional tab contains information on nondisease-specific indicators such as allergies and vital signs. Conclusions Our generic template systematically integrates the existing scientific evidence for the standardized long-term monitoring of chronic conditions. It contains a user-friendly and clinically sensible layout. This template can improve the care for patients with chronic diseases when using EMRs in primary care.


2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
pp. e72-76
Author(s):  
Weaam S. Al-Yaqoubi ◽  
Nadia S. Al-Maqbali

Objectives: This study aimed to describe patterns of prescribing co-amoxiclav to children aged ≤5 years at a polyclinic in Oman and to assess level of adherence to the antibiotic prescription guidelines outlined by the Omani Ministry of Health (MOH). Methods: This cross-sectional retrospective study was conducted between June and December 2017 at Ibri Polyclinic (IPC) in Ibri, Oman. A random sample of 399 children aged ≤5 years who were prescribed a suspension of co-amoxiclav over the four winter months of 2016 were included in the study. The children’s electronic medical records were reviewed to determine whether the prescription complied with MOH guidelines. Results: The majority of the children were 2–3 years old (52.4%). Overall, 73.9% of prescriptions were written by general practitioners, while 26.1% were written by specialists. Co-amoxiclav therapy was the first line of management in 90.5% of cases, regardless of category of prescriber. Culture tests were ordered in only 43 cases (10.8%), of which five (11.6%) were found to be sensitive to the prescribed co-amoxiclav. Conclusion: Unnecessary antibiotics were prescribed to many paediatric patients attending IPC. Strict enforcement of the MOH antibiotic guidelines is needed to reduce irrational or discretionary prescription of this type of antibiotic. Healthcare providers should receive additional training in evidence-based methods of prescribing antibiotics.   KEYWORDS Antibiotics; Children; Co-Amoxiclav; Inappropriate Prescribing; Antibiotic Resistance; Oman.


BMJ Open ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (8) ◽  
pp. e028329 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ruby Biezen ◽  
Cassandra Roberts ◽  
Kirsty Buising ◽  
Karin Thursky ◽  
Douglas Boyle ◽  
...  

ObjectiveThis study aimed to explore how general practitioners (GPs) access and use both guidelines and electronic medical records (EMRs) to assist in clinical decision-making when prescribing antibiotics in Australia.DesignThis is an exploratory qualitative study with thematic analysis interpreted using the Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB) framework.SettingThis study was conducted in general practice in Victoria, Australia.ParticipantsTwenty-six GPs from five general practices were recruited to participate in five focus groups between February and April 2018.ResultsGPs expressed that current EMR systems do not provide clinical decision support to assist with antibiotic prescribing. Access and use of guidelines were variable. GPs who had more clinical experience were less likely to access guidelines than younger and less experienced GPs. Guideline use and guideline-concordant prescribing was facilitated if there was a practice culture encouraging evidence-based practice. However, a lack of access to guidelines and perceived patients’ expectation and demand for antibiotics were barriers to guideline-concordant prescribing. Furthermore, guidelines that were easy to access and navigate, free, embedded within EMRs and fit into the clinical workflow were seen as likely to enhance guideline use.ConclusionsCurrent barriers to the use of antibiotic guidelines include GPs’ experience, patient factors, practice culture, and ease of access and cost of guidelines. To reduce inappropriate antibiotic prescribing and to promote more rational use of antibiotic in the community, guidelines should be made available, accessible and easy to use, with minimal cost to practicing GPs. Integration of evidence-based antibiotic guidelines within the EMR in the form of a clinical decision support tool could optimise guideline use and increase guideline-concordant prescribing.


2017 ◽  
Vol 30 (1) ◽  
pp. 17-25 ◽  
Author(s):  
Abdullah Awaysheh ◽  
Jeffrey Wilcke ◽  
François Elvinger ◽  
Loren Rees ◽  
Weiguo Fan ◽  
...  

Much effort has been invested in standardizing medical terminology for representation of medical knowledge, storage in electronic medical records, retrieval, reuse for evidence-based decision making, and for efficient messaging between users. We only focus on those efforts related to the representation of clinical medical knowledge required for capturing diagnoses and findings from a wide range of general to specialty clinical perspectives (e.g., internists to pathologists). Standardized medical terminology and the usage of structured reporting have been shown to improve the usage of medical information in secondary activities, such as research, public health, and case studies. The impact of standardization and structured reporting is not limited to secondary activities; standardization has been shown to have a direct impact on patient healthcare.


2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Leandra Falck ◽  
Marco Zoller ◽  
Thomas Rosemann ◽  
Nahara Anani Martínez-González ◽  
Corinne Chmiel

BACKGROUND Long-term care for patients with chronic diseases poses a huge challenge in primary care. There are deficits in care, especially regarding monitoring and creating structured follow-ups. Appropriate electronic medical records (EMR) could support this, but so far, no generic evidence-based template exists. OBJECTIVE The aim of this study is to develop an evidence-based standardized, generic template that improves the monitoring of patients with chronic conditions in primary care by means of an EMR. METHODS We used an adapted Delphi procedure to evaluate a structured set of evidence-based monitoring indicators for 5 highly prevalent chronic diseases (ie, diabetes mellitus type 2, asthma, arterial hypertension, chronic heart failure, and osteoarthritis). We assessed the indicators’ utility in practice and summarized them into a user-friendly layout. RESULTS This multistep procedure resulted in a monitoring tool consisting of condensed sets of indicators, which were divided into sublayers to maximize ergonomics. A cockpit serves as an overview of fixed goals and a set of procedures to facilitate disease management. An additional tab contains information on nondisease-specific indicators such as allergies and vital signs. CONCLUSIONS Our generic template systematically integrates the existing scientific evidence for the standardized long-term monitoring of chronic conditions. It contains a user-friendly and clinically sensible layout. This template can improve the care for patients with chronic diseases when using EMRs in primary care.


2019 ◽  
Vol 43 (3) ◽  
pp. 302 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ian A. Scott ◽  
Clair Sullivan ◽  
Andrew Staib

Objective In an era of rapid digitisation of Australian hospitals, practical guidance is needed in how to successfully implement electronic medical records (EMRs) as both a technical innovation and a major transformative change in clinical care. The aim of the present study was to develop a checklist that clearly and comprehensively defines the steps that best prepare hospitals for EMR implementation and digital transformation. Methods The checklist was developed using a formal methodological framework comprised of: literature reviews of relevant issues; an interactive workshop involving a multidisciplinary group of digital leads from Queensland hospitals; a draft document based on literature and workshop proceedings; and a review and feedback from senior clinical leads. Results The final checklist comprised 19 questions, 13 related to EMR implementation and six to digital transformation. Questions related to the former included organisational considerations (leadership, governance, change leaders, implementation plan), technical considerations (vendor choice, information technology and project management teams, system and hardware alignment with clinician workflows, interoperability with legacy systems) and training (user training, post-go-live contingency plans, roll-out sequence, staff support at point of care). Questions related to digital transformation included cultural considerations (clinically focused vision statement and communication strategy, readiness for change surveys), management of digital disruption syndromes and plans for further improvement in patient care (post-go-live optimisation of digital system, quality and benefit evaluation, ongoing digital innovation). Conclusion This evidence-based, field-tested checklist provides guidance to hospitals planning EMR implementation and separates readiness for EMR from readiness for digital transformation. What is known about the topic? Many hospitals throughout Australia have implemented, or are planning to implement, hospital wide electronic medical records (EMRs) with varying degrees of functionality. Few hospitals have implemented a complete end-to-end digital system with the ability to bring about major transformation in clinical care. Although the many challenges in implementing EMRs have been well documented, they have not been incorporated into an evidence-based, field-tested checklist that can practically assist hospitals in preparing for EMR implementation as both a technical innovation and a vehicle for major digital transformation of care. What does this paper add? This paper outlines a 19-question checklist that was developed using a formal methodological framework comprising literature review of relevant issues, proceedings from an interactive workshop involving a multidisciplinary group of digital leads from hospitals throughout Queensland, including three hospitals undertaking EMR implementation and one hospital with complete end-to-end EMR, and review of a draft checklist by senior clinical leads within a statewide digital healthcare improvement network. The checklist distinguishes between issues pertaining to EMR as a technical innovation and EMR as a vehicle for digital transformation of patient care. What are the implications for practitioners? Successful implementation of a hospital-wide EMR requires senior managers, clinical leads, information technology teams and project management teams to fully address key operational and strategic issues. Using an issues checklist may help prevent any one issue being inadvertently overlooked or underemphasised in the planning and implementation stages, and ensure the EMR is fully adopted and optimally used by clinician users in an ongoing digital transformation of care.


2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Leandra Falck ◽  
Marco Zoller ◽  
Thomas Rosemann ◽  
Nahara Anani Martínez-González ◽  
Corinne Chmiel

BACKGROUND Long-term care for patients with chronic diseases poses a huge challenge in primary care. In particular, there is a deficit regarding monitoring and structured follow-up. Appropriate electronic medical records (EMRs) could help improving this but, so far, there are no evidence-based specifications concerning the indicators that should be monitored at regular intervals. OBJECTIVE The aim was to identify and collect a set of evidence-based indicators that could be used for monitoring chronic conditions at regular intervals in primary care using EMRs. METHODS We searched MEDLINE (Ovid), Embase (Elsevier), the Cochrane Library (Wiley), the reference lists of included studies and relevant reviews, and the content of clinical guidelines. We included primary studies and guidelines reporting about indicators that allow for the assessment of care and help monitor the status and process of disease for five chronic conditions, including type 2 diabetes mellitus, asthma, arterial hypertension, chronic heart failure, and osteoarthritis. RESULTS The use of the term “monitoring” in terms of disease management and long-term care for patients with chronic diseases is not widely used in the literature. Nevertheless, we identified a substantial number of disease-specific indicators that can be used for routine monitoring of chronic diseases in primary care by means of EMRs. CONCLUSIONS To our knowledge, this is the first systematic review summarizing the existing scientific evidence on the standardized long-term monitoring of chronic diseases using EMRs. In a second step, our extensive set of indicators will serve as a generic template for evaluating their usability by means of an adapted Delphi procedure. In a third step, the indicators will be summarized into a user-friendly EMR layout.


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