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CC BY 4.0 · ACI open 2021; 05(01): e27-e35
DOI: 10.1055/s-0041-1731005
Original Article

“I didn't know you could do that”: A Pilot Assessment of EHR Optimization Training

Rachel Gold
1   Kaiser Permanente Center for Health Research, Portland, Oregon, United States
2   OCHIN, Inc., Portland, Oregon, United States
,
Arwen Bunce
2   OCHIN, Inc., Portland, Oregon, United States
,
James V. Davis
1   Kaiser Permanente Center for Health Research, Portland, Oregon, United States
,
Joan C. Nelson
3   Department of Primary Care, Kaiser Permanente Northwest, Portland, Oregon, United States
,
Stuart Cowburn
2   OCHIN, Inc., Portland, Oregon, United States
,
Jee Oakley
2   OCHIN, Inc., Portland, Oregon, United States
,
Stacie Carney
2   OCHIN, Inc., Portland, Oregon, United States
,
Michael A. Horberg
4   Kaiser Permanente Mid-Atlantic Permanente Research Institute, Rockville, Maryland, United States
,
James W. Dearing
5   Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan, United States
,
Gerardo Melgar
6   Cowlitz Family Health Center, Longview, Washington, United States
,
Joanna E. Bulkley
1   Kaiser Permanente Center for Health Research, Portland, Oregon, United States
,
Janet Seabrook
7   Community HealthNet Health Centers, Gary, Indiana, United States
,
Heath Cloutier
2   OCHIN, Inc., Portland, Oregon, United States
› Author Affiliations Funding Research reported in this publication was supported by the National Heart, Lung, And Blood Institute of the National Institutes of Health under Award Number R01HL120894. The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the National Institutes of Health.
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Abstract

Background Informatics tools within electronic health records (EHRs)—for example, data rosters and clinical reminders—can help disseminate care guidelines into clinical practice. Such tools' adoption varies widely, however, possibly because many primary care providers receive minimal training in even basic EHR functions.

Objectives This mixed-methods evaluation of a pilot training program sought to identify factors to consider when providing EHR use optimization training in community health centers (CHCs) as a step toward supporting CHC providers' adoption of EHR tools.

Methods In spring 2018, we offered 10 CHCs a 2-day, 16-hour training in EHR use optimization, provided by clinician trainers, and customized to each CHC's needs. We surveyed trainees pre- and immediately post-training and again 3 months later. We conducted post-training interviews with selected clinic staff, and conducted a focus group with the trainers, to assess satisfaction with the training, and perceptions of how it impacted subsequent EHR use.

Results Six CHCs accepted and received the training; 122 clinic staff members registered to attend, and most who completed the post-training survey reported high satisfaction. Three months post-training, 80% of survey respondents said the training had changed their daily EHR use somewhat or significantly.

Conclusion Factors to consider when planning EHR use optimization training in CHCs include: CHCs may face barriers to taking part in such training; it may be necessary to customize training to a given clinic's needs and to different trainees' clinic roles; identifying trainees' skill level a priori would help but is challenging; in-person training may be preferable; and inclusion of a practice coach may be helpful. Additional research is needed to identify how to provide such training most effectively.

Keywords

electronic health records - community health centers - safety-net providers - education - professional - retraining

Protection of Human and Animal Subjects

The study was performed in accordance with the ethical standards of the institutional and/or national research committee and with the World Medical Association Declaration of Helsinki (1964) and its later amendments. The study was approved by the Institutional Review Board (IRB) at Kaiser Permanente Northwest (Protocol: Pro00004392). The IRB waived the requirement to obtain informed consent.




Publication History

Received: 20 February 2020

Accepted: 20 April 2021

Article published online:
27 June 2021

© 2021. The Author(s). This is an open access article published by Thieme under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, permitting unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction so long as the original work is properly cited. (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)

Georg Thieme Verlag KG
Rüdigerstraße 14, 70469 Stuttgart, Germany

 

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