PT - JOURNAL ARTICLE AU - Carrie Janiski AU - Elizabeth Doherty AU - Mark Schauer TI - Western Michigan University School of Medicine, Kalamazoo, MI<br/>Closing the Feedback Loop: Effectively Communicating Pap Smear Results Using an Electronic Health Record DP - 2014 Mar 20 TA - Ochsner Journal PG - 34--35 VI - 14 IP - Spec AIAMC Iss 4099 - http://www.ochsnerjournal.org/content/14/Spec_AIAMC_Iss/34.short 4100 - http://www.ochsnerjournal.org/content/14/Spec_AIAMC_Iss/34.full SO - Ochsner J2014 Mar 20; 14 AB - Background: Screening for cervical cancer is currently recommended for all women with a cervix who are ages 21–65. Reporting test results to patients offers a valuable educational opportunity for both the patient and the clinician. Our initial goal was to gain experience with a small, discrete project based in a high-traffic process (ie, standardizing normal Pap smear reporting) that would have measurable impact for patients and residents in our primary care clinics. Secondarily, the project would serve as a means for NI III participants to become better trained facilitators and disseminators of QI curricula.Methods: A 3-question survey was distributed among primary care residents to determine their knowledge of lab reporting policies and preferences for patient contact regarding lab results. Common practices among practitioners and reporting capabilities of a newly launched EHR were reviewed. Aims, measures, and a timeline were developed across a multidisciplinary team of clinicians and staff.Results: For normal Pap results, a standardized letter is generated with educational language and follow-up recommendations as noted by the ordering physician when reviewing the lab result in the EHR. Weekly compliance reports are provided to clinic directors for feedback. Preimplementation, 7 of 42 resident physicians indicated they knew what the lab reporting policy was. At baseline, 39% (n=64) of normal Pap results were compliant with the new policy; within 6 months, 78% (n=85) of normal Pap results were compliant.Conclusions: This project provides a framework for patient-provider communication that could be expanded to other test results; it also provided QI exposure to key stakeholders and mentors toward affecting a positive culture change at our institution. Curriculum development is ongoing and is likely to be most successful in conjunction with resident-driven hands-on projects. One small but measurable contribution to curriculum development was the incorporation of IHI Open School modules for residents across all programs.View this table:FINAL WORK PLAN – Western Michigan University School of Medicine