Design and Pilot Implementation of an Electronic Health Record-Based System to Automatically Refer Cancer Patients to Tobacco Use Treatment

Thulasee Jose, Joshua W. Ohde, J. Taylor Hays, Michael V. Burke and David O. Warner
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Thulasee Jose: Department of Anesthesiology and Perioperative Medicine, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN 55902, USA
Joshua W. Ohde: Center for Clinical and Translational Science, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN 55902, USA
J. Taylor Hays: Department of Medicine, Nicotine Dependence Center, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN 55902, USA
Michael V. Burke: Department of Medicine, Nicotine Dependence Center, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN 55902, USA
David O. Warner: Department of Anesthesiology and Perioperative Medicine, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN 55902, USA

IJERPH, 2020, vol. 17, issue 11, 1-11

Abstract: Continued tobacco use after cancer diagnosis is detrimental to treatment and survivorship. The current reach of evidence-based tobacco treatments in cancer patients is low. As a part of the National Cancer Institute Cancer Center Cessation Initiative, the Mayo Clinic Cancer Center designed an electronic health record (EHR, Epic © )-based process to automatically refer ambulatory oncology patients to tobacco use treatment, regardless of intent to cease tobacco use(“opt out”). The referral and patient scheduling, accomplished through a best practice advisory (BPA) directed to staff who room patients, does not require a co-signature from clinicians. This process was piloted for a six-week period starting in July of 2019 at the Division of Medical Oncology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN. All oncology patients who were tobacco users were referred for tobacco treatment by the rooming staff ( n = 210). Of these, 150 (71%) had a tobacco treatment appointment scheduled, and 25 (17%) completed their appointment. We conclude that an EHR-based “opt-out” approach to refer patients to tobacco dependence treatment that does not require active involvement by clinicians is feasible within the oncology clinical practice. Further work is needed to increase the proportion of scheduled patients who attend their appointments.

Keywords: electronic health record; tobacco; smoking; cancer; opt-out (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2020
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (3)

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