Suchergebnisse

Use of electronic alerts in clinical practice has had mixed effects on providers' prescribing practices. New York City has one of the highest rates of HIV in the United States. Recent New York State legislation requires healthcare providers to offer an HIV test to patients aged 13–64 years during a clinical encounter. Adhering to this requirement is particularly challenging in emergency department (ED) settings, which are frequently overcrowded and under-resourced. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of an electronic "hard-stop" alert on HIV testing rates in the ED. Approximately four months of data were reviewed before and after the implementation of the alert. We found that use of the electronic alert significantly increased documentation of offering an HIV test (O.R. = 267.27, p<0.001) and resulted in a significant increase in HIV testing. Findings from this study add to the current knowledge about the use of electronic alerts for improving disease screening.

Digital medical records have enabled us to employ clinical data in many new and innovative ways. However, these advances have brought with them a complex set of demands for healthcare institutions regarding data sharing with topics such as data ownership, the loss of privacy, and the protection of the intellectual property. The lack of clear guidance from government entities often creates conflicting messages about data policy, leaving institutions to develop guidelines themselves. Through discussions with multiple stakeholders at various institutions, we have generated a set of guidelines with 10 key principles to guide the responsible and appropriate use and sharing of clinical data for the purposes of care and discovery. Industry, universities, and healthcare institutions can build upon these guidelines toward creating a responsible, ethical, and practical response to data sharing.