Implementation and Evaluation of Two Educational Strategies to Improve Screening for Eating Disorders in Pediatric Primary Care.

PURPOSE: Routine screening for disordered eating or body image concerns is recommended by the American Academy of Pediatrics. We evaluated the ability of two educational interventions to increase screening for eating disorders in pediatric primary care practice, predicting that the "active-learning" group would have an increase in documented screening after intervention. METHODS: We studied 303 practitioners in a large independent practice association located in the northeastern United States. We used a quasi-experimental design to test the effect of printed educational materials ("print-learning" group, n = 280 participants) compared with in-person shared learning followed by on-line spaced education ("active-learning" group, n = 23 participants) on documented screening of adolescents for eating disorder symptoms during preventive care visits. A subset of 88 participants completed additional surveys regarding knowledge of eating disorders, comfort screening for, diagnosing, and treating eating disorders, and satisfaction with their training regarding eating disorders. RESULTS: During the preintervention period, 4.5% of patients seen by practitioners in both the print-learning and active-learning groups had chart documentation of screening for eating disorder symptoms or body image concerns. This increased to 22% in the active-learning group and 5.7% in the print-learning group in the postintervention period, a statistically significant result. Compared with print-learning participants, active-learning group participants had greater eating disorder knowledge scores, increases in comfort diagnosing eating disorders, and satisfaction with their training in this area. CONCLUSIONS: In-person shared learning followed by on-line spaced education is more effective than print educational materials for increasing provider documentation of screening for eating disorders in primary care.

Practice-Based Quality Improvement Collaborative to Increase Chlamydia Screening in Young Women.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Chlamydia trachomatis infections are common among sexually active young women. We developed a practice-based quality improvement (QI) collaborative to increase Chlamydia screening in at-risk young women. METHODS: Structured data fields were integrated into the electronic record for practices affiliated with Boston Children's Hospital. A learning community (LC) was developed. Content included the adolescent well visit, assessment of sexual/risk behaviors, epidemiology of sexually transmitted diseases, and screening methods. The QI initiative effectiveness was assessed by comparing preintervention and postintervention rates of Chlamydia screening by using statistical process control analyses and logistic regressions. RESULTS: LC participants demonstrated significant increases in recommended Chlamydia screening, as illustrated by using Healthcare Effectiveness Data and Information Set (HEDIS) screening rates (LC1: 52.8% preintervention vs 66.7% postintervention [P < .0001]; LC2: 57.8% preintervention vs 69.3% postintervention [P < .0001]). Participating practices reported total improvements larger than nonparticipating practices (13.9% LC1, 11.5% LC2, and 7.8% nonparticipants). QI and LC efforts also led to increased documentation of sexual activity status in the record (LC1: 61.2% preintervention to 91.2% postintervention [P < .0001]; LC2: 43.3% preintervention to 61.2% postintervention [P < .0001]). Nonparticipating practices were more likely to perform indiscriminate screening. CONCLUSIONS: Through our QI and LC efforts, statistically and clinically meaningful improvements in Chlamydia screening rates were attained. Differences in rates of improvement indicate that LC participation likely had effects beyond electronic medical record changes alone. During the project time frame, national HEDIS screening rates remained unchanged, suggesting that the observed improvements were related to the interventions and not to a national trend. As a result of QI tools provided through the LCs, HEDIS screening goals were achieved in a primary care setting.