Managing Electronic Test Result Notifications in Outpatient Care
Author Information
Author(s): Hysong Sylvia J, Sawhney Mona K, Wilson Lindsey, Sittig Dean F, Esquivel Adol, Singh Simran, Singh Hardeep
Primary Institution: Houston VA Health Sciences Research & Development Center of Excellence
Hypothesis
What are the barriers and facilitators to effective management of abnormal test result notifications in electronic health records?
Conclusion
Providers face several challenges in effectively managing electronic notifications of abnormal test results, necessitating a multi-dimensional approach to improve the system.
Supporting Evidence
- Providers reported receiving many alerts that were unrelated to abnormal test results.
- Some providers lacked proficiency in using EHR features to manage alerts efficiently.
- Suggestions for improvement included redesigning clinical workflow and streamlining policies related to test result notifications.
Takeaway
Doctors get a lot of alerts about test results, but many are unnecessary, making it hard for them to follow up on important ones. We need to make the alert system better so they can focus on what really matters.
Methodology
Qualitative study using focus groups with primary care providers and diagnostic services personnel to discuss barriers and facilitators in managing test result notifications.
Limitations
The study's findings may only apply to the VA's EHR system and were based on focus groups from only two sites.
Participant Demographics
Participants included full-time primary care providers and personnel from diagnostic services and IT, primarily from two large VA facilities.
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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