Assessing the Impact of Electronic Health Record Interventions on Hepatitis B Screening and Vaccination.

BACKGROUND

Hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection is a major health disparity between Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders compared with other racial/ethnic groups in the U.S.

AIMS

Our aims were to determine the effectiveness of an electronic health record (EHR) data-driven clinical intervention to improve HBV screening and vaccination rates at a community health center primarily serving Asian American patients.

METHODS

Using a community-engaged approach, we conducted a study to compare the differences in screening and vaccination rates for 6,429 patient encounters before and after implementation of the EHR intervention. A multivariable logistic regression analysis was conducted to estimate the effect of the intervention.

RESULTS

Analyses indicated that patients who visited the clinic after implementing the EHR intervention were more likely to be screened (OR=1.8, p<.001) and vaccinated (OR=2.8, p<.001) for hepatitis B.

CONCLUSIONS

Electronic health record interventions implemented using a community-engaged approach may improve delivery of appropriate care to patients at risk for hepatitis B in a community health setting.