scholarly journals Variation in results release and patient portal access to diagnostic test results at an academic medical center

2017 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
pp. 45 ◽  
Author(s):  
MatthewD Krasowski ◽  
CalebV Grieme ◽  
Brian Cassady ◽  
NicholasR Dreyer ◽  
KarolynA Wanat ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Diagnostic Test ◽  
Medical Center ◽  
Academic Medical Center ◽  
Patient Portal ◽  
Test Results ◽  
Academic Medical

scholarly journals The Use of an Electronic Health Record Patient Portal to Access Diagnostic Test Results by Emergency Patients at an Academic Medical Center: Retrospective Study (Preprint)

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Brody Foster ◽  
Matthew David Krasowski
Keyword(s):  
Diagnostic Test ◽  
Laboratory Tests ◽  
Medical Center ◽  
Academic Medical Center ◽  
Patient Portal ◽  
Test Results ◽  
Patient Portals ◽  
Radiology Reports ◽  
Academic Medical ◽  
Laboratory Results

BACKGROUND Electronic health record (EHR) patient portals provide a means by which patients can access their health information, including diagnostic test results. Little is known about portal usage by emergency department (ED) patients. OBJECTIVE The study aimed to assess patient portal utilization by ED patients at an academic medical center using account activation rates along with the rates of access of diagnostic test results (laboratory results and radiology reports), analyzing the impact of age, gender, and self-reported patient race. METHODS This institutional review board–approved retrospective study was performed at a 60,000-visits-per-year university-based ED. We utilized EHR data reporting tools to examine EHR portal activation and utilization for all patients who had at least one ED encounter with one or more diagnostic tests performed between October 1, 2016, and October 1, 2017. The total dataset for laboratory testing included 208,635 laboratory tests on 25,361 unique patients, of which 9482 (37.39%) had active portal accounts. The total dataset for radiologic imaging included 23,504 radiology studies on 14,455 unique patients, of which 5439 (37.63%) had an active portal account. RESULTS Overall, 8.90% (18,573/208,635) of laboratory tests and 8.97% (2019/22,504) of radiology reports ordered in the ED were viewed in the patient portal. The highest rates of viewing of laboratory and radiology results were seen for those who were female, were aged 0 to 11 years (parent or guardian viewing by proxy) and 18 to 60 years, and self-reported their race as Caucasian or Asian. The lowest rates were for those who were teenagers, aged older than 81 years, African American/black, and Hispanic/Latino. Infectious disease, urinalysis, and pregnancy testing constituted the highest number of laboratory tests viewed. Magnetic resonance imaging reports were viewed at higher rates than computed tomography or x-ray studies (P<.001). Approximately half of all the diagnostic test results accessed by patients were reviewed within 72 hours of availability in the patient portal (laboratory results: 9904/18,573, 53.32% and radiology reports: 971/2019, 48.1%). On the other extreme, 19.9% (3701/18,573) of laboratory results and 31.6% (639/2019) of radiology reports were viewed more than 2 weeks after availability in the portal. CONCLUSIONS The data highlight the relatively low use of a patient portal by ED patients and existing disparities between patient groups. There can be wide lag time (months) between result/report availability and access by patients. Opportunities for improvement exist for both activation and more robust utilization of patient portals by ED patients.

scholarly journals Policies and procedures governing patient portal use at an Academic Medical Center

JAMIA Open ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 2 (4) ◽  
pp. 479-488
Author(s):  
Bryan D Steitz ◽  
Joseph Isaac S Wong ◽  
Jared G Cobb ◽  
Brian Carlson ◽  
Gaye Smith ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Government Regulation ◽  
Medical Center ◽  
Academic Medical Center ◽  
Successful Implementation ◽  
Patient Portal ◽  
Patient Portals ◽  
Identity Verification ◽  
Policies And Procedures ◽  
Academic Medical ◽  
And Function

Abstract Background and Objective Patient portal use has increased over the last two decades in response to consumer demand and government regulation. Despite growing adoption, few guidelines exist to direct successful implementation and governance. We describe the policies and procedures that have governed over a decade of continuous My Health at Vanderbilt (MHAV) patient portal use. Methods We examined MHAV usage data between May 2007 and November 2017. We classified patient portal activity into eight functional categories: Appointment, Billing, Document Access, Genetics, Health Result, Immunization, Medication, and Messaging. We describe our operating policies and measure portal uptake, patient account activity, and function use over time. Results By the end of the study period, there were 375 517 registered accounts. Policies made MHAV available to competent adults and adolescents 13 and over. Patients signed up for a limited access account online, which could be upgraded to a full-access account after identity verification. Patients could assign proxy accounts to family and caregivers, which permitted nonpatient access to select MHAV functions. Laboratory and radiology results were accessible via MHAV. Results were classified into three groups based on sensitivity, which govern the length of delay before results appeared in MHAV. Discussion and Conclusion Patient portals offer significant opportunity to engage patients in their healthcare. However, there remains a need to understand how policies can promote uptake and use. We anticipate that other institutions can apply concepts from our policies to support meaningful patient portal engagement.

Implementation of a pharmacist-provided pharmacogenomics service in an executive health program

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ina Liko ◽  
Lisa Corbin ◽  
Eric Tobin ◽  
Christina L Aquilante ◽  
Yee Ming Lee
Keyword(s):  
Health Program ◽  
Medical Center ◽  
Academic Medical Center ◽  
Test Results ◽  
Sample Collection ◽  
Team Members ◽  
University Of Colorado ◽  
Academic Medical ◽  
Previous Medication ◽  
Selection Of

Abstract Disclaimer In an effort to expedite the publication of articles related to the COVID-19 pandemic, AJHP is posting these manuscripts online as soon as possible after acceptance. Accepted manuscripts have been peer-reviewed and copyedited, but are posted online before technical formatting and author proofing. These manuscripts are not the final version of record and will be replaced with the final article (formatted per AJHP style and proofed by the authors) at a later time. Purpose We describe the implementation of a pharmacist-provided pharmacogenomics (PGx) service in an executive health program (EHP) at an academic medical center. Summary As interest in genomic testing grows, pharmacists have the opportunity to advance the use of PGx in EHPs, in collaboration with other healthcare professionals. In November 2018, a pharmacist-provided PGx service was established in the EHP at the University of Colorado Hospital. The team members included 3 physicians, a pharmacist trained in PGx, a registered dietitian/exercise physiologist, a nurse, and 2 medical assistants. We conducted 4 preimplementation steps: (1) assessment of the patient population, (2) selection of a PGx test, (3) establishment of a visit structure, and (4) selection of a billing model. The PGx consultations involved two 1-hour visits. The first visit encompassed pretest PGx education, review of the patient’s current medications and previous medication intolerances, and DNA sample collection for genotyping. After this visit, the pharmacist developed a therapeutic plan based on the PGx test results, discussed the results and plan with the physician, and created a personalized PGx report. At the second visit, the pharmacist reviewed the PGx test results, personalized the PGx report, and discussed the PGx-guided therapeutic plan with the patient. Overall, the strategy worked well; minor challenges included evaluation of gene-drug pairs with limited PGx evidence, communication of information to non-EHP providers, scheduling issues, and reimbursement. Conclusion The addition of a PGx service within an EHP was feasible and provided pharmacists the opportunity to lead PGx efforts and collaborate with physicians to expand the precision medicine footprint at an academic medical center.

scholarly journals Rapid development of telehealth capabilities within pediatric patient portal infrastructure for COVID-19 care: barriers, solutions, results

2020 ◽  
Vol 27 (7) ◽  
pp. 1116-1120 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pious D Patel ◽  
Jared Cobb ◽  
Deidre Wright ◽  
Robert W Turer ◽  
Tiffany Jordan ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Pediatric Patients ◽  
Medical Center ◽  
Rapid Development ◽  
Academic Medical Center ◽  
Security Policies ◽  
Patient Portal ◽  
Privacy And Security ◽  
Academic Medical ◽  
Adolescent Autonomy ◽  
National Emergency

Abstract The COVID-19 national emergency has led to surging care demand and the need for unprecedented telehealth expansion. Rapid telehealth expansion can be especially complex for pediatric patients. From the experience of a large academic medical center, this report describes a pathway for efficiently increasing capacity of remote pediatric enrollment for telehealth while fulfilling privacy, security, and convenience concerns. The design and implementation of the process took 2 days. Five process requirements were identified: efficient enrollment, remote ability to establish parentage, minimal additional work for application processing, compliance with guidelines for adolescent autonomy, and compliance with institutional privacy and security policies. Weekly enrollment subsequently increased 10-fold for children (age 0–12 years) and 1.2-fold for adolescents (age 13–17 years). Weekly telehealth visits increased 200-fold for children and 90-fold for adolescents. The obstacles and solutions presented in this report can provide guidance to health systems for similar challenges during the COVID-19 response and future disasters.

scholarly journals Disparities in Pediatric Patient Portal Activation and Feature Use

JAMIA Open ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 4 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jennifer H LeLaurin ◽  
Oliver T Nguyen ◽  
Lindsay A Thompson ◽  
Jaclyn Hall ◽  
Jiang Bian ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Medical Center ◽  
Academic Medical Center ◽  
White Female ◽  
Patient Portal ◽  
Patient Portals ◽  
Electronic Health Record Data ◽  
Factors Associated ◽  
Academic Medical ◽  
Vulnerable Individual ◽  
Records Access

Abstract Objective Disparities in adult patient portal adoption are well-documented; however, less is known about disparities in portal adoption in pediatrics. This study examines the prevalence and factors associated with patient portal activation and the use of specific portal features in general pediatrics. Materials and methods We analyzed electronic health record data from 2012 to 2020 in a large academic medical center that offers both parent and adolescent portals. We summarized portal activation and use of select portal features (messaging, records access and management, appointment management, visit/admissions summaries, and interactive feature use). We used logistic regression to model factors associated with patient portal activation among all patients along with feature use and frequent feature use among ever users (ie, ≥1 portal use). Results Among 52 713 unique patients, 39% had activated the patient portal, including 36% of patients aged 0–11, 41% of patients aged 12–17, and 62% of patients aged 18–21 years. Among activated accounts, ever use of specific features ranged from 28% for visit/admission summaries to 92% for records access and management. Adjusted analyses showed patients with activated accounts were more likely to be adolescents or young adults, white, female, privately insured, and less socioeconomically vulnerable. Individual feature use among ever users generally followed the same pattern. Conclusions Our findings demonstrate that important disparities persist in portal adoption in pediatric populations, highlighting the need for strategies to promote equitable access to patient portals.

scholarly journals Assessment of Clinical Ordering Practices of Phosphatidylethanol Monitoring for Alcohol Use at a Large Academic Medical Center

2021 ◽  
Vol 156 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. S11-S12
Author(s):  
Thomas Herb ◽  
Carmen Gherasim ◽  
David Manthei
Keyword(s):  
Alcohol Consumption ◽  
Alcohol Use ◽  
Medical Center ◽  
Academic Medical Center ◽  
Test Results ◽  
Negative Results ◽  
Academic Medical ◽  
Term Monitoring ◽  
Positive Results

Abstract Objectives Phosphatidylethanol (PEth) has emerged as a specific biomarker for alcohol use with superior diagnostic values compared to traditional alcohol biomarkers including urinary ethyl glucuronide (uEtG), urinary ethyl sulfate (uEtS), and carbohydrate-deficient transferrin (CDT). PEth can extend the detection window of alcohol use up to 28 days and has been dubbed a “hemoglobin A1c”-like biomarker for alcohol use. Measurement of PEth concentration in the blood has become of increasing interest in a wide variety of clinical settings including transplant evaluation, detection of chronic alcohol consumption and monitoring alcohol abstinence. Availability of PEth testing is currently limited to few reference laboratories; at our institution, PEth quickly became one of the most expensive chemistry/toxicology sendout tests. Few testing guidelines exist for PEth regarding test utilization and time intervals for appropriate repeat testing. This retrospective analysis was conducted evaluating the patterns of PEth ordering to inform best test utilization strategies. Methods A retrospective limited data set of PEth (PEth 16:0/18:1 by LC-MS/MS) test results was obtained from a large academic medical center. Concordance of the positive test results using a cutoff of 20 ng/mL for repeat testing within 7, 14 and 28 days was analyzed. Results 3,739 distinct results from 1,957 patients was obtained. The median age of patients was 57 years (range 19-94). Males accounted for 58.4% (1,142 patients) of the testing. The overall positivity rate was 23.3% (median concentration 188.5 ng/mL), with 52% of positive results suggesting moderate alcohol consumption (20 – 200 ng/mL) while the remaining 48% reflected heavy alcohol consumption or chronic alcohol use (&gt;200 ng/mL). 588 patients (30%) had multiple PEth results, including 150 patients with ≥ 5 results and 36 patients with ≥ 10 results. Long term monitoring of alcohol use in pre- and post- transplant patients (n=36) with ≥ 10 results revealed that 52.7% had all negative results, 5.6% all positive results, and 41.7% with mixed results included a subset (25%) initially positive and subsequently negative results monitored for up to 2 years. Analysis of two consecutive tests ordered within 7 (n=96), 14 (n=205) and 28 days (n=411) revealed that 90%, 82.9% and 83.7% of the results had the same interpretation with an average change in concentration of 15.2 ng/mL 35.9 ng/mL, and 35.4 ng/mL, respectively. Of the 10% observed changes within 7 days, the majority accounted for expected PEth 16:0/18:1 elimination. Conclusions Our data suggests that long-term monitoring of alcohol use with PEth may be helpful in the surveillance of alcohol abstention or alcohol relapse that can assist in prioritizing patients for liver transplant. To improve PEth test utilization (and decrease expensive sendout testing), PEth should not be ordered less than 7 days apart. Instead, recent alcohol use may be monitored with traditional biomarkers (uEtG/uEtS).

Privileging pharmacists improves time to patient notification in the microbiological test review process for patients discharged from the emergency department

2020 ◽  
Vol 77 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. S19-S24
Author(s):  
Steven M Loborec ◽  
Jose A Bazan ◽  
Nicole V Brown ◽  
Mary Beth Shirk ◽  
Trisha A Jordan
Keyword(s):  
Emergency Department ◽  
Medical Center ◽  
Academic Medical Center ◽  
Test Results ◽  
Infectious Disease Physician ◽  
Microbiological Test ◽  
Test Review ◽  
Academic Medical ◽  
Before And After ◽  
The Impact

Abstract Purpose Results of a study evaluating the impact of privileging pharmacists to manage microbiologic test results for patients discharged from the emergency department (ED) are reported. Methods This was a single-center, retrospective pre-post study that was conducted at an urban academic medical center. Patients discharged from the ED with a subsequent positive microbiologic test result before and after privileging of an ED specialty practice pharmacist (ED-SPP) to manage the results independently were screened for inclusion. Time to patient notification of a required change in antimicrobial therapy was compared between groups. Numbers of erroneous interventions before and after pharmacist privileging were compared to assess the safety of implementation. Results One hundred seventy-eight positive microbiologic test results (n = 92 pre- and n = 86 postimplementation) were included. The median time to patient notification in the pre-implementation group was 23.6 hours (range, 12.4-93 hours) and in the postimplementation group was 14.9 hours (range, 2.5-27.9 hours; P = 0.0023). As determined by the board-certified infectious disease physician, 1.1% of reviewed microbiologic test results (1 of 92) was erroneous prior to implementation of pharmacist privileging compared with 2.3% (2 of 86) after implementation (P = 0.6105). Conclusion Privileging ED-SPPs to assess microbiologic test results improved the time to patient notification with no statistical difference in the number of erroneous interventions between groups. These findings demonstrate the benefit of clinical privileging and provide support for expansion of this role to other ED-SPPs.

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