Christine Matson

Do family physicians electronic health records support meaningful use

BACKGROUND Spurred by government incentives, the use of electronic health records (EHRs) in the United States has increased; however, whether these EHRs have the functionality necessary to meet meaningful use (MU) criteria remains unknown. Our objective was to characterize family physician access to MU functionality when using a MU-certified EHR. METHODS Data were obtained from a convenience survey of family physicians accessing their American Board of Family Medicine online portfolio in 2011. A brief survey queried MU functionality. We used descriptive statistics to characterize the responses and bivariate statistics to test associations between MU and patient communication functions by presence of a MU-certified EHR. RESULTS Out of 3855 respondents, 60% reported having an EHR that supports MU. Physicians with MU-certified EHRs were more likely than physicians without MU-certified EHRs to report patient registry activities (49.7% vs. 32.3%, p-value<0.01), tracking quality measures (74.1% vs. 56.4%, p-value<0.01), access to labs or consultation notes, and electronic prescribing; but electronic communication abilities were low regardless of EHR capabilities. CONCLUSIONS Family physicians with MU-certified EHRs are more likely to report MU functionality; however, a sizeable minority does not report MU functions. IMPLICATIONS Many family physicians with MU-certified EHRs may not successfully meet the successively stringent MU criteria and may face significant upgrade costs to do so. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE Cross sectional survey.

ELECTRONIC HEALTH RECORDS: HOW WILL STUDENTS LEARN IF THEY CAN’T PRACTICE?

Electronic health records (EHR) are becoming ubiquitous, with 78% of office-based physicians reporting use of an EHR in 2013.[1][1] EHR systems have the potential to enhance quality and safety, but there is a risk that medical students are entering residencies without adequate preparation to fully

The Public Health Leadership Certificate A Public Health and Primary Care Interprofessional Training Opportunity

This article describes a public health leadership certificate curriculum developed by the Commonwealth Public Health Training Center for employees in public health and medical trainees in primary care to share didactic and experiential learning. As part of the program, trainees are involved in improving the health of their communities and thus gain a blended perspective on the effectiveness of interprofessional teams in improving population health. The certificate curriculum includes eight one-credit-hour didactic courses offered through an MPH program and a two-credit-hour, community-based participatory research project conducted by teams of trainees under the mentorship of health district directors. Fiscal sustainability is achieved by sharing didactic courses with MPH degree students, thereby enabling trainees to take advantage of a reduced, continuing education tuition rate. Public health employee and primary care trainees jointly learn knowledge and skills required for community health improvement in interprofessional teams and gain an integrated perspective through opportunities to question assumptions and broaden disciplinary approaches. At the same time, the required community projects have benefited public health in Virginia.

ADFM’S 2013 WINTER MEETING FOCUS: MOVING TO VALUE-BASED HEALTH CARE

The 2013 ADFM Winter Meeting’s theme was Leading in the Time of Transition from Volume-Based to Value-Based Health Care. At the core of the meeting’s program was a day-long session facilitated by Harold Miller, Executive Director of the Center for Healthcare Quality and Payment Reform, who

ANOTHER CENTURY OF “REFORM WITHOUT CHANGE?”

> “And the seasons, they go round and round > > And the painted ponies go up and down > > We’re captive on a carousel of time” > > (Joni Mitchell 1970) The 1910 Flexner report is credited with beginning the modern era of medical education.[1][1] Since that time, a regular calliope of

The Role for Virtual Patients in the Future of Medical Education

We are preparing learners to work in complex environments, interacting with other professionals while caring for patients. Communicating effectively within a team is urgent because lapses in teamwork and communication are the leading causes of errors and patient harm. The results of collaborations between disciplines such as computer science/engineering and health sciences education have been described. In scripted and technically driven scenarios, these collaborations often complement each other, and as such, descriptions and results appear in the journals of multiple disciplines well beyond health professions education.

ENGAGING LEARNERS TO ACHIEVE ESCAPE VELOCITY IN TRANSFORMATIONAL EDUCATION AND PRACTICE

“The dream of reason did not take power into account.”[1][1] One of every

ADFM's 2013 winter meeting focus: moving to value-based health care.

5 of the US gross domestic product now comes from the health care delivery industry. Approximately 30% of those health care dollars are superfluous, unnecessary, or downright wasteful based on objective assessments.[2][2

FAMILY MEDICINE CLERKSHIP CURRICULUM—NEXT STEPS

The 2013 ADFM Winter Meeting’s theme was Leading in the Time of Transition from Volume-Based to Value-Based Health Care. At the core of the meeting’s program was a day-long session facilitated by Harold Miller, Executive Director of the Center for Healthcare Quality and Payment Reform, who

Eastern Virginia Medical School of the Medical College of Hampton Roads.

Family medicine is an essential component of the United States health care delivery system. A required family medicine experience is part of the curriculum of most medical schools. However, the content of the family medicine clerkship varies widely among medical schools. To develop consistency