Implementing the information prescription protocol in a family medicine practice: a case study

Can an information prescription protocol be successfully integrated into a family medicine practice seeking to enhance patient education and self-management?

Milton Family Practice, an outpatient clinic and resident teaching site of the University of Vermont and Fletcher Allen Health Care, is located in a semirural area fifteen miles from main campus.

The objectives were to increase physicians' knowledge and use of information prescriptions, sustain integration of information prescription use, and increase physicians' ability to provide patient education information.

Methods used were promotion of the National Library of Medicine's Information Rx, physician instruction, installation of patient and provider workstations, and a collaborative approach to practice integration.

A post-intervention survey showed increased physician knowledge and use of the Information Rx protocol. Support procedures were integrated at the practice.

Sustainable integration of Information Rx in a primary care clinic requires not only promotion and education, but also attention to clinic organization and procedures.