Feasibility of Using Electronic Health Records (EHR) for cascade monitoring and cost estimates in implementation science studies in the Adolescent Trials Network for HIV/AIDS Interventions (ATN) (Preprint)

UNSTRUCTURED Objective. The proportion of youth living with HIV/AIDS (YLH) on ART and virally undetectable is low, highlighting significant challenges for reaching the Joint United Nations Program on HIV targets. Increased attention to measurement and monitoring of care engagement highlights a needed framework for assessing progress across the care continuum. To this end, the Cascade Monitoring (CM) study was designed to assess the feasibility of using electronic health records (EHR) for cascade related implementation science outcomes. Methods. EHR data was systematically obtained from multiple clinical sites and utilized to capture the CDC’s four continuum of care measures. Results. The use of EHR data works well for assessing patterns of completed visits. Sites with access to data management resources work more efficiently for CM study purposes. Conclusions. Site data management resources should be a part of the selection process when identifying site partners for clinical studies that plan to use EHR data.