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Computerized protocol for preventive medicine: a controlled self-audit in family practice.
M A Weingarten1, D Bazel, H S Shannon
1Department of Family Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Jerusalem, Israel.
Family Practice
|June 1, 1989
Summary
Computerized health maintenance protocols improve preventive care documentation in general practice. This system enhanced recording of key health items, aiding doctors in routine preventive medicine.
Area of Science:
- General Practice
- Health Informatics
- Preventive Medicine
Background:
- Adult health maintenance requires systematic documentation.
- General practitioners (GPs) face challenges in consistently recording preventive care data.
- Manual record-keeping can be inefficient for comprehensive health maintenance.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the effectiveness of a computerized adult health maintenance protocol.
- To compare the outcomes of a computerized protocol versus manual records in general practice.
- To assess the impact of computerization on preventive medicine item recording.
Main Methods:
- A randomized study involving 222 patients was conducted.
- The experimental group used a single-screen computerized protocol during consultations.
- The control group relied on traditional manual records.
Main Results:
- Significantly more preventive medicine items (e.g., smoking status, immunizations) were recorded in the computerized group.
- Computerization showed an advantage for blood pressure and breast examination recording.
- Average consultation time increased from 8.5 to 10 minutes with computer use.
Conclusions:
- Computerized health maintenance protocols are valuable tools for enhancing preventive care documentation.
- The system aids GPs in integrating more preventive medicine into routine practice.
- While improving documentation, computerization slightly increases consultation time.