Electronic Reminders to Patients Within an Interactive Patient Health Record

Abstract

Keeping patients with complex medical illnesses up to date with their preventive care and chronic disease management services, such as lipid testing and retinal exam in patients with diabetes, is challenging. Within a commercially available electronic health record (EHR) with a secure personal health record (PHR), we developed a system that sends up to three weekly reminders to patients who will soon be due for preventive care services. The reminder messages reside within the secure PHR, which is linked to the EHR, and are displayed on a screen where patients can also send to the physician's office an electronic message to request appointments for the needed services. The reminder messages stop when the patient logs on to review the reminders. The system, designed with patient input, groups together all services that will be due in the next 3 months to avoid repeatedly messaging the patient. After 2 months, the cycle of reminders begins again. This system, which is feasible and economical to build, has the potential to improve care and compliance with quality measures.

Electronic Health Record Portal Messages and Interactive Voice Response Calls to Improve Rates of Early Season Influenza Vaccination: Randomized Controlled Trial

“…Fischer and colleagues [ 50 ] found that among patients randomized to active reminders about multiple health maintenance services (eg, hemoglobin A 1c testing, lipids, etc), nearly 65% of patients logged in to the portal after receiving the first of several messages. In a study [ 51 ] of colorectal cancer screening reminders delivered via patient portal, among the 552 patients randomized to receive messages, 54% viewed the message and 9% performed a suggested web-based risk assessment tool.…”

Improving Rates of Outpatient Influenza Vaccination Through EHR Portal Messages and Interactive Automated Calls: A Randomized Controlled Trial

“…In one study, among patients randomized to active reminders about multiple health maintenance services, nearly 65% of patients logged into the portal after receiving the first of several messages. 33 Multiple health maintenance messages delivered via a secure personal health record (PHR) "ejournal" yielded higher rates (71-75% opening) for influenza and pneumococcal vaccine messages. Future studies could explore ways to improve engagement through adjustments in outreach timing or message content.…”

SMAI - Sistema Móvel de Assistência ao Idoso

“…O uso da telemedicina no controle de doenças crônicas tem sido discutido nos últimos anos, demostrando benefícios para o paciente e para os sistemas de saúde [Dorsey, 2013], [Celler, 2006], [Jaglal, 2013], [Finkelstein, 2006]. Alguns deles se concentram em sistemas de notificação e lembretes aos pacientes, com o objetivo de melhorar a aderência ao tratamento [Fisher, 2006], [Keranen, 2013]. O uso de soluções móveis e tecnologia da informação na área da telemedicina no Brasil está se consolidando.…”