Effect of In-Person vs Video Training and Access to All Functions vs a Limited Subset of Functions on Portal Use Among Inpatients: A Randomized Clinical Trial.

Importance: Inpatient portals provide patients with clinical data and information about their care and have the potential to influence patient engagement and experience. Although significant resources have been devoted to implementing these portals, evaluation of their effects has been limited. Objective: To assess the effects of patient training and portal functionality on use of an inpatient portal and on patient satisfaction and involvement with care. Design, Setting, and Participants: This randomized clinical trial was conducted from December 15, 2016, to August 31, 2019, at 6 noncancer hospitals that were part of a single health care system. Patients who were at least 18 years of age, identified English as their preferred language, were not involuntarily confined or detained, and agreed to be provided a tablet to access the inpatient portal during their stay were eligible for participation. Data were analyzed from May 1, 2019, to March 15, 2021. Interventions: A 2 × 2 factorial intervention design was used to compare 2 levels of a training intervention (touch intervention, consisting of in-person training vs built-in video tutorial) and 2 levels of portal function availability (tech intervention) within an inpatient portal (all functions operational vs a limited subset of functions). Main Outcomes and Measures: The primary outcomes were inpatient portal use, measured by frequency and comprehensiveness of use, and patients' satisfaction and involvement with their care. Results: Of 2892 participants, 1641 were women (56.7%) with a median age of 47.0 (95% CI, 46.0-48.0) years. Most patients were White (2221 [76.8%]). The median Charlson Comorbidity Index was 1 (95% CI, 1-1) and the median length of stay was 6 (95% CI, 6-7) days. Notably, the in-person training intervention was found to significantly increase inpatient portal use (incidence rate ratio, 1.34 [95% CI, 1.25-1.44]) compared with the video tutorial. Patients who received in-person training had significantly higher odds of being comprehensive portal users than those who received the video tutorial (odds ratio, 20.75 [95% CI, 16.49-26.10]). Among patients who received the full-tech intervention, those who also received the in-person intervention used the portal more frequently (incidence rate ratio, 1.36 [95% CI, 1.25-1.48]) and more comprehensively (odds ratio, 22.52; [95% CI, 17.13-29.62]) than those who received the video tutorial. Patients who received in-person training had higher odds (OR, 2.01 [95% CI, 1.16-3.50]) of reporting being satisfied in the 6-month postdischarge survey. Similarly, patients who received the full-tech intervention had higher odds (OR, 2.06 [95%CI, 1.42-2.99]) of reporting being satisfied in the 6-month postdischarge survey. Conclusions and Relevance: Providing in-person training or robust portal functionality increased inpatient engagement with the portal during the hospital stay. The effects of the training intervention suggest that providing personalized training to support use of this health information technology can be a powerful approach to increase patient engagement via portals. Trial Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT02943109.

Working with an Electronic Medical Record in Ambulatory Care: A Study of Patient Perceptions of Intrusiveness

OBJECTIVE: To assess patient perceptions of electronic medical record (EMR) intrusiveness during ambulatory visits to clinics associated with a large academic medical center. METHOD: We conducted a survey of patients seen at any of 98 academic medical center clinics. The survey assessed demographics, visit satisfaction, computer use, and perceived intrusiveness of the computer. RESULTS: Of 7,058 patients, slightly more than 80 percent reported that the physician had used the computer while in the room, but only 24 percent were shown results in the EMR. Most patients were very satisfied or satisfied with their visit and did not find the computer intrusive (83 percent). Younger respondents, those shown results, and those who reported that the physician used the computer were more likely to perceive the computer as intrusive. Qualitative comments suggest different perceptions related to computer intrusiveness than to EMR use more generally. DISCUSSION: Patients were generally accepting of EMRs and therefore use of computers in the exam room. However, subgroups of patients may require greater study to better understand patient perceptions related to EMR use and intrusiveness. CONCLUSION: Results suggest the need for greater focus on how physicians use computers in the exam room in a manner that facilitates maintaining good rapport with patients.

High Touch and High Tech (HT2) Proposal: Transforming Patient Engagement Throughout the Continuum of Care by Engaging Patients with Portal Technology at the Bedside.

BACKGROUND: For patients with complex care needs, engagement in disease management activities is critical. Chronic illnesses touch almost every person in the United States. The costs are real, personal, and pervasive. In response, patients often seek tools to help them manage their health. Patient portals, personal health records tethered to an electronic health record, show promise as tools that patients value and that can improve health. Although patient portals currently focus on the outpatient experience, the Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center (OSUWMC) has deployed a portal designed specifically for the inpatient experience that is connected to the ambulatory patient portal available after discharge. While this inpatient technology is in active use at only one other hospital in the United States, health care facilities are currently investing in infrastructure necessary to support large-scale deployment. Times of acute crisis such as hospitalization may increase a patient's focus on his/her health. During this time, patients may be more engaged with their care and especially interested in using tools to manage their health after discharge. Evidence shows that enhanced patient self-management can lead to better control of chronic illness. Patient portals may serve as a mechanism to facilitate increased engagement. OBJECTIVE: The specific aims of our study are (1) to investigate the independent effects of providing both High Tech and High Touch interventions on patient-reported outcomes at discharge, including patients' self-efficacy for managing chronic conditions and satisfaction with care; and (2) to conduct a mixed-methods analysis to determine how providing patients with access to MyChart Bedside (MCB, High Tech) and training/education on patient portals, and MyChart Ambulatory (MCA, High Touch) will influence engagement with the patient portal and relate to longer-term outcomes. METHODS: Our proposed 4-year study uses a mixed-methods research (MMR) approach to evaluate a randomized controlled trial studying the effectiveness of a High Tech intervention (MCB, the inpatient portal), and an accompanying High Touch intervention (training patients to use the portal to manage their care and conditions) in a sample of hospitalized patients with two or more chronic conditions. This study measures how access to a patient portal tailored to the inpatient stay can improve patient experience and increase patient engagement by (1) improving patients' perceptions of the process of care while in the hospital; (2) increasing patients' self-efficacy for managing chronic conditions; and (3) facilitating continued use of a patient portal for care management after discharge. In addition, we aim to enhance patients' use of the portal available to outpatients (MCA) once they are discharged. RESULTS: This study has been funded by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ). Research is ongoing and expected to conclude in August 2019. CONCLUSIONS: Providing patients real-time access to health information can be a positive force for change in the way care is provided. Meaningful use policies require minimum demonstrated use of patient portal technology, most often in the ambulatory setting. However, as the technology matures to bridge the care transition, there is a greater need to understand how patient portals transform care delivery. By working in concert with patients to address and extend current technologies, our study aims to advance efforts to increase patients' engagement in their care and develop a template for how other hospitals might integrate similar technologies.

Detection of adverse drug events using an electronic trigger tool.

PURPOSE: Implementation and refinement of an integrated electronic "trigger tool" for detecting adverse drug events (ADEs) is described. METHODS: A three-month prospective study was conducted at a large medical center to test and improve the positive predictive value (PPV) of an electronic health record-based tool for detecting ADEs associated with use of four "trigger drugs": the reversal agents flumazenil, naloxone, phytonadione, and protamine. On administration of a trigger drug to an adult patient, an electronic message was transmitted to two pharmacists, who reviewed cases in near real time (typically, on the same day) to detect actual or potential ADEs. In phase 1 of the study, any use of a trigger drug resulted in an alert message; in subsequent phases, the alerting criteria were narrowed on the basis of clinical criteria and laboratory data with the goal of refining the trigger tool's PPV. RESULTS: A total of 87 drug administrations were reviewed during the three-month study period, with 27 ADEs detected. PPV values in phases 1, 2, and 3 were 0.33, 0.21, and 0.36, respectively. The relatively low overall PPV of the trigger tool was largely attributable to false-positive trigger messages associated with phytonadione use (such messages were reduced from 35 in phase 1 to 7 in phase 3). CONCLUSION: Evaluation and refinement of an electronic trigger tool based on detecting the use of the reversal agents flumazenil, naloxone, phytonadione, and protamine found an overall PPV of 0.31 during a three-month study period.

Top 10 Lessons Learned from Electronic Medical Record Implementation in a Large Academic Medical Center.

Electronic medical record (EMR) implementation efforts face many challenges, including individual and organizational barriers and concerns about loss of productivity during the process. These issues may be particularly complex in large and diverse settings with multiple specialties providing inpatient and outpatient care. This case report provides an example of a successful EMR implementation that emphasizes the importance of flexibility and adaptability on the part of the implementation team. It also presents the top 10 lessons learned from this EMR implementation in a large midwestern academic medical center. Included are five overarching lessons related to leadership, initial approach, training, support, and optimization as well as five lessons related to the EMR system itself that are particularly important elements of a successful implementation.

A journey through meaningful use at a large academic medical center: lessons of leadership, administration, and technical implementation.

Successfully reporting meaningful use of electronic health records to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services can be a challenging process, particularly for healthcare organizations with large numbers of eligible professionals. This case report describes a successful meaningful use attestation process undertaken at a major academic medical center. It identifies best practices in the areas of leadership, administration, communication, ongoing support, and technological implementation.

Osteoporosis.

Osteoporosis, as defined by the National Osteoporosis Foundation, is a disease that is characterized by low bone mass and structural deterioration of bone tissue, which leads to bone fragility and an increased susceptibility to fractures. Aging is only one factor that contributes to the development of osteoporosis. Genetics, suboptimal nutrition, deficiency of calcium and vitamin D, lifestyle, smoking, decrease in sex hormone production, and medications also contribute to skeletal fragility. Osteoporotic fractures are a frequent and important cause of disability and medical costs worldwide. Fortunately, osteoporotic fractures are preventable. Several guidelines for the prevention, screening, diagnosis, and management for osteoporosis have been established. Although some are consistent and similar, others are not.