A quality improvement project to increase the use of postmenopausal hormonal replacement therapy (HRT)
Many medical institutions are initiating quality improvement and disease prevention programs. In this paper, we report the results of a program designed to increase the rate of hormonal replacement therapy (HRT) in a postmenopausal population. After initially assessing the rate of HRT use, we instituted an educational program directed at both physicians and patients. Reassessment two years later indicated the rate of HRT had increased from 31% to 48.4%. Further educational efforts were followed by a reassessment three years later that showed a further improvement in prescription rate to 64%. We conclude that our educational program directed at physicians and patients dramatically increased the rate of HRT prescription of postmenopausal women.
Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Gundersen-Lutheran Medical Center, La Crosse, Wisconsin 54601, USA.
C W
CW
Schauberger
R H
RH
Caplan
P J
PJ
Dahlberg
C
C
Strom
A
A
Kyser
D004502:Education, Medical, Continuing; D015914:Estrogen Replacement Therapy / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D010353:Patient Education as Topic; D017698:Postmenopause; D010818:Practice Patterns, Physicians'; D011322:Primary Prevention / Q000379:methods*; D011787:Quality of Health Care