Health Information Technology Commons^™

Optimizing Secure Patient Messaging Workflow In A Vermont Primary Care Clinic, Kimberly S. Oleary

College of Nursing and Health Sciences Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) Project Publications

Optimizing Secure Patient Messaging Workflow in a Vermont Primary Care Clinic

Kim O’Leary, DNPc, RN

DNP Advisor: Margaret Aitken, DNP, AGNP, ANP-BC

Site Mentor: James Williamson, MHA, Site Supervisor, Adult Primary Care

Background: Secure patient messaging is a popular tool designed for non-urgent questions, yet patients sometimes use it to relay urgent concerns. As office workflows tend to prioritize responses to other methods of communication, this presents a potentially unsafe situation in which clinical staff may not respond to these urgent messages in a timely manner.

Purpose: To develop a methodology to improve the timeliness, effectiveness, and safety of secure …

Smart Phrase Revision To Improve Primary Care Pre-Visit Planning Workflow, Kelly Dobler

College of Nursing and Health Sciences Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) Project Publications

Purpose: Preventive care has been shown to improve health outcomes yet is underutilized. Use of Pre-visit Planning (PVP) smart phrases or templates in the EHR improve visit workflow and patient care. This project assessed current PVP smart phrase utilization and implementation of revised PVP smart phrases in a primary care setting.

Methods: Medical providers were surveyed to assess their satisfaction with the current PVP smart phrase. Based on those findings and evidence from literature a revised PVP smart phrase was developed. It was implemented and adapted over a 7 week period using four Plan Do Study Act (PDSA) cycles. A …

Examining Provider Burden From The 21st Century Cures Act, Jordan Carver

Family Medicine Clerkship Student Projects

The 21st Century Cures Act enacted new protocols in Spring 2021 requiring all patient notes and reports to be made available electronically as soon as they are finalized. In order to study the initial impact of this change on physician burden, a survey was sent out to Burlington, VT providers to assess impacts to their workflow.

Updating Evidence-Based Patient Education Resources For Sleep: Sleep Hygiene And Benzodiazepine Discontinuation, Carolyn Geraci, Madeline Fritz

Family Medicine Clerkship Student Projects

There is a major need for patient education around the topics of sleep hygiene and benzodiazepine sleep aid discontinuation in the family medicine clinic setting. Current patient-focused educational materials need updating and are not comprehensive enough. We therefore created new handouts and smartphrases which integrate into the electronic medical record system with the goal of educating patients on these topics.

Blood Pressure Management Education, Lauren G. Gernon, Cara Rathmell

Family Medicine Clerkship Student Projects

The expansion of telehealth with COVID-19 and recent recommendations to use at-home blood pressure monitoring to diagnose and monitor hypertension have increased the need for materials and education for clinicians and patients. A pilot project in Primary Care Internal Medicine UVM in Essex, VT, produced an electronic medical record dot phrase and compiled educational materials to initiate nurse visits for at-home BP measurements. Materials and experience with this pilot was researched for initiation of a similar program at UVM Family Medicine Hinesburg.

Barriers And Facilitators To Use Of A Clinical Evidence Technology For Management Of Skin Problems In Primary Care: Insights From Mixed Methods, Marianne Burke Phd, Alan Rubin Md, Liliane Savard Dpt, Benjamin Littenberg Md

Larner College of Medicine Faculty Publications

Background: A previous cluster-randomized controlled trial tested the effectiveness of a clinical evidence technology (CET), VisualDx, for skin problems seen by Primary Care Providers (PCPs). Based on patient report, there was no effect on time to problem resolution or return appointments.

Objective: To explain, from the provider perspective, why the CET did not make a difference in the clinical trial and to identify barriers and facilitators to use.

Methods: Mixed methods study design. Providers from both arms completed a survey about their use of VisualDx and information-seeking during and after the trial. Active arm providers participated in interviews to explore …

Effect Of A Clinical Evidence Technology On Patient Skin Disease Outcomes In Primary Care: A Cluster-Randomized Controlled Trial, Marianne Burke, Benjamin Littenberg Md

University Libraries Faculty and Staff Publications

Objective: Providers’ use of clinical evidence technologies (CETs) improves their diagnosis and treatment decisions. Despite these benefits, few studies have evaluated the impact of CETs on patient outcomes. Investigators evaluated the effect of one CET, VisualDx, on skin problem outcomes in primary care.

Methods: The cluster-randomized controlled pragmatic trial was set in outpatient clinics at an academic medical center in the Northeast. Participants were Primary Care Providers (PCPs) and adult patients seen for skin problems. The intervention was VisualDx as used by PCPs. Outcomes were patient-reported time from index clinic visit to problem resolution, and the number of …

Improving Community Health With Affordable Internet Access, Joshua Jeremy Pothen

Family Medicine Clerkship Student Projects

Internet access is associated with increases in health information seeking and benefits in health statuses. However, many individuals of low socioeconomic status (SES) lack Internet access, thereby creating significant disadvantages from a health perspective. In this project, we describe a potential project for providing affordable Internet access to a neighborhood of Newport, VT containing many SES individuals. This network includes a splash page that provides regular health event promotion and health information dissemination to everyone connecting the network. We then discuss how to determine the impacts of the Internet on multiple aspects of health within the community.

Improving Breastfeeding Support At A Multi-Service Federally Qualified Health Center, Elisabeth P. Lucas

Family Medicine Clerkship Student Projects

A student project exploring how breastfeeding is addressed among different patient care teams in a federally funded clinic and using Electronic Health Record data to determine patient needs. Future recommendations included.

Health Research Associates: Dana Library Program Supporting The Information Needs Of Small Hospitals & Public Health Agencies In Vermont, Marianne Burke, Lesley Boucher

UVM Libraries Conference Day

We will describe the purpose, methods, members and service changes, income-expense status, trends, and the value of this program.