Medical offices weigh in on data exchange challenges
The Agency for Health Research and Quality’s 2010 Preliminary Comparative Results: Medical Office Survey on Patient Safety Culture shows that 50 percent or more of practices have encountered problems when exchanging accurate, complete and timely information with other entities during the past year.
Fewer reported that results from a lab or imaging test were not available when needed than reported that a patient’s chart/medical record was not available when needed.
Findings in the survey, prepared by Westat, of Rockville, Md., are based on data from 10,567 staff from 470 medical offices in 33 states. A majority of those offices (291) are family practice/family medicine. Twenty-eight percent of respondents were administrative or clerical staff, 21 percent were clinical staff or clinical support staff, and 19 percent were physicians.
The survey includes 52 survey items that measure 12 areas of organizational culture pertaining to patient safety:
Patient safety and quality issues
Survey participants were asked to provide their best estimate as to how often the following issues happened in their medical office during the past 12 months. The percent positive response is based on those who answered “Not in the past 12 months” or “Once or twice in the past 12 months.”
Information exchange
Participants were also asked to estimate, during the past 12 months, how often their medical office has had problems exchanging accurate, complete and timely information with:
The percentages are based on responses of “Not in the past 12 months” or “Once or twice in the past 12 months.”
Electronic systems implementation
In addition, the survey gauged the implementation status of five common electronic tools in the medical offices: Eighty-two percent of respondents reported that their offices had fully implemented electronic appointment scheduling, and 59 percent indicated they have electronic access to patients’ test or imaging results. Just over half the respondents (51 percent) said they had implemented electronic medical/health records.
However, only 41 percent said they had implemented electronic ordering of medications, and 37 percent of offices had fully implemented electronic ordering of tests, imaging or procedures, according to the survey.
The complete set of 2010 Preliminary Comparative Results is available here.
Fewer reported that results from a lab or imaging test were not available when needed than reported that a patient’s chart/medical record was not available when needed.
Findings in the survey, prepared by Westat, of Rockville, Md., are based on data from 10,567 staff from 470 medical offices in 33 states. A majority of those offices (291) are family practice/family medicine. Twenty-eight percent of respondents were administrative or clerical staff, 21 percent were clinical staff or clinical support staff, and 19 percent were physicians.
The survey includes 52 survey items that measure 12 areas of organizational culture pertaining to patient safety:
- Communication about Error
- Communication Openness
- Information Exchange with Other Settings
- Office Processes and Standardization
- Organizational Learning
- Overall Perceptions of Patient Safety and Quality
- Owner/Managing Partner/Leadership Support for Patient Safety
- Patient Care Tracking/Followup
- Patient Safety and Quality Issues
- Staff Training
- Teamwork
- Work Pressure and Pace
Patient safety and quality issues
Survey participants were asked to provide their best estimate as to how often the following issues happened in their medical office during the past 12 months. The percent positive response is based on those who answered “Not in the past 12 months” or “Once or twice in the past 12 months.”
- A patient was unable to get an appointment within 48 hours for an acute/serious problem: 69 percent
- The wrong chart/medical record was used for a patient: 86 percent
- A patient's chart/medical record was not available when needed: 63 percent
- Medical information was filed, scanned, or entered into the wrong patient’s chart/medical record: 70 percent
- Medical equipment was not working properly or was in need of repair or replacement: 73 percent
- A pharmacy contacted our office to clarify or correct a prescription: 22 percent
- A patient's medication list was not updated during his or her visit: 44 percent
- The results from a lab or imaging test were not available when needed: 39 percent
- A critical abnormal result from a lab or imaging test was not followed up within one business day: 79 percent
Information exchange
Participants were also asked to estimate, during the past 12 months, how often their medical office has had problems exchanging accurate, complete and timely information with:
- Outside labs/imaging centers: 55 percent
- Other medical offices/Outside physicians: 50 percent
- Pharmacies: 52 percent
- Hospitals: 58 percent
The percentages are based on responses of “Not in the past 12 months” or “Once or twice in the past 12 months.”
Electronic systems implementation
In addition, the survey gauged the implementation status of five common electronic tools in the medical offices: Eighty-two percent of respondents reported that their offices had fully implemented electronic appointment scheduling, and 59 percent indicated they have electronic access to patients’ test or imaging results. Just over half the respondents (51 percent) said they had implemented electronic medical/health records.
However, only 41 percent said they had implemented electronic ordering of medications, and 37 percent of offices had fully implemented electronic ordering of tests, imaging or procedures, according to the survey.
The complete set of 2010 Preliminary Comparative Results is available here.