Beyond health information technology: critical factors necessary for effective diabetes disease management.
BACKGROUND
Electronic health records (EHRs) have been implemented throughout the United States with varying degrees of success. Past EHR implementation experiences can inform health systems planning to initiate new or expand existing EHR systems. Key "critical success factors," e.g., use of disease registries, workflow integration, and real-time clinical guideline support, have been identified but not fully tested in practice.


METHODS
A pre/postintervention cohort analysis was conducted on 495 adult patients selected randomly from a diabetes registry and followed for 6 years. Two intervention phases were evaluated: a "low-dose" period targeting primary care provider (PCP) and patient education followed by a "high-dose" EHR diabetes management implementation period, including a diabetes disease registry and office workflow changes, e.g., diabetes patient preidentification to facilitate real-time diabetes preventive care, disease management, and patient education.


RESULTS
Across baseline, "low-dose," and "high-dose" postintervention periods, a significantly greater proportion of patients (a) achieved American Diabetes Association (ADA) guidelines for control of blood pressure (26.9 to 33.1 to 43.9%), glycosylated hemoglobin (48.5 to 57.5 to 66.8%), and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (33.1 to 44.4 to 56.6%) and (b) received recommended preventive eye (26.2 to 36.4 to 58%), foot (23.4 to 40.3 to 66.9%), and renal (38.5 to 53.9 to 71%) examinations or screens.


CONCLUSIONS
Implementation of a fully functional, specialized EHR combined with tailored office workflow process changes was associated with increased adherence to ADA guidelines, including risk factor control, by PCPs and their patients with diabetes. Incorporation of previously identified "critical success factors" potentially contributed to the success of the program, as did use of a two-phase approach.
Center for Clinical Translational Research, Billings Clinic, Billings, MT 59107-7000, USA. eciemins@billingsclinic.org
Elizabeth L
EL
Ciemins
Patricia J
PJ
Coon
Jinnet Briggs
JB
Fowles
Sung-joon
SJ
Min
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D015331:Cohort Studies; D003920:Diabetes Mellitus / Q000628:therapy*; D057286:Electronic Health Records / Q000639:trends*; D005260:Female; D019983:Guideline Adherence; D006801:Humans; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009009:Montana; D010353:Patient Education as Topic; D010821:Physicians, Family; D012042:Registries; D057188:Workflow