Impact of an Electronic Template on Documentation of Obesity in a Primary Care Clinic

This study investigated the impact of a standardized EHR template on documentation of obesity at WCC visits and its impact on physician behavior. A cohort of 585 children with severe early onset obesity (body mass index >99th percentile, age <6 years) was identified with an electronic algorithm. Complete records of visit notes were reviewed to extract history taking, counseling, and recording of obesity at a WCC visit. Use of a standardized EHR template for WCC visits is associated with improvement in rates of documentation of obesity (47% vs 34%, P < .01), without interruption of workflow. Documentation of obesity in the chart improved nutritional (66% vs 44%, P < .001) and physical activity counseling (23% vs 9%, P < .001).

Source: Clinical Pediatrics - September 12, 2016 Category: Pediatrics Authors: Thaker, V. V., Lee, F., Bottino, C. J., Perry, C. L., Holm, I. A., Hirschhorn, J. N., Osganian, S. K. Tags: Articles Source Type: research