Document Detail


Tools to improve documentation of smoking status. Continuous quality improvement and electronic medical records.
MedLine Citation:
PMID:  9932067     Owner:  NLM     Status:  MEDLINE    
Abstract/OtherAbstract:
BACKGROUND: Despite the deleterious effects of smoking on the nation's health and evidence that smoking cessation advice by family practice physicians is cost-effective, self-sustaining office systems to identify smokers in primary care clinics have been difficult to establish. We worked on a continuous quality improvement project group, aided by an electronic medical record, to design a system to document and periodically update smoking status in a consistent place in the medical record. INTERVENTION: Using the continuous quality improvement plan-do-study-act cycle, a 7-member group worked with nursing staff to define roles, routines and responsibilities for medical assistants to screen for and document 1 of 4 categories of smoking status in the major problem list of the electronic medical record for at least 80% of patient appointments. Screening rate was tracked monthly by means of the electronic medical record and feedback was given to staff. RESULTS: The screening rate rose from 18.4% to 80.3% within 2 weeks after the system was implemented and was maintained for 19 months. An additional benefit was an increased rate of smoking cessation counseling documented by providers, from a baseline rate of 17.1% to 48.3%. CONCLUSIONS: A continuous quality improvement group process aided by an electronic medical record is useful to develop a self-sustaining office system to screen, document, and periodically update smoking status in a consistent place in the medical record. Although screening for and documenting smoking status are only the first step toward helping patients stop smoking, it is an important one.
Authors:
E Spencer; T Swanson; W J Hueston; D L Edberg
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Publication Detail:
Type:  Journal Article; Research Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S.    
Journal Detail:
Title:  Archives of family medicine     Volume:  8     ISSN:  1063-3987     ISO Abbreviation:  Arch Fam Med     Publication Date:    1999 Jan-Feb
Date Detail:
Created Date:  1999-02-18     Completed Date:  1999-02-18     Revised Date:  2007-11-14    
Medline Journal Info:
Nlm Unique ID:  9300357     Medline TA:  Arch Fam Med     Country:  UNITED STATES    
Other Details:
Languages:  eng     Pagination:  18-22     Citation Subset:  IM    
Affiliation:
Eau Claire Family Practice Residency Program, Department of Family Medicine, University of Wisconsin-Madison, USA. lspencer@eauclair.fammed.wisc.edu
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MeSH Terms
Descriptor/Qualifier:
Family Practice / standards*
Humans
Mass Screening / statistics & numerical data*
Medical Audit
Medical Records Systems, Computerized*
Outcome and Process Assessment (Health Care) / methods*
Smoking*
Total Quality Management*
Wisconsin
Grant Support
ID/Acronym/Agency:
1-D15-PE-15323/PE/BHP HRSA HHS

From MEDLINE®/PubMed®, a database of the U.S. National Library of Medicine


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