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Improving Rates of Screening for Anemia in Infancy

Barbara Ha1, Deirdre L O'Sullivan1, Carol A Diamond1

  • 11 University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI, USA.

Clinical Pediatrics
|November 30, 2017
PubMed

Insights

Implementing an electronic health record alert significantly improved anemia screening rates in pediatric clinics, reaching over 70% after the intervention. This technology-based approach sustained higher screening rates for children at 1 year of age.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatrics
  • Quality Improvement
  • Health Informatics

Background:

  • The American Academy of Pediatrics recommended universal anemia screening around 1 year of age in 2010.
  • Anemia screening rates in ambulatory settings often fall below recommended levels.
  • Quality improvement initiatives are crucial for enhancing adherence to pediatric screening guidelines.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To improve the rate of anemia screening for children at approximately 1 year of age in an ambulatory care setting.
  • To evaluate the effectiveness of a best practice alert (BPA) integrated into the electronic health record (EHR) for anemia screening.
  • To assess the sustainability of improved screening rates following the BPA implementation.

Main Methods:

  • A quality improvement study was conducted in a university-based setting, including family medicine (DFM) and pediatrics (PEDS) clinics.
  • A best practice alert (BPA) was implemented within the EHR to prompt anemia screening.
  • Screening rates were compared before (12 months) and after (8 months, followed by 7 months) BPA implementation, with statistical analysis (P < .0001).

Main Results:

  • The overall anemia screening rate increased from 48.2% pre-BPA to 72.7% post-BPA.
  • Sustained screening rates of 70.8% were observed in a follow-up period.
  • Screening rates were consistently higher in pediatrics (PEDS) clinics compared to family medicine (DFM) clinics (P < .0001).

Conclusions:

  • A technology-based intervention using EHR best practice alerts effectively increased and maintained anemia screening rates at 1 year of age.
  • The BPA intervention demonstrated a significant positive impact on adherence to anemia screening recommendations.
  • Pediatric clinics showed higher screening rates than family medicine clinics, suggesting potential differences in implementation or workflow.

Keywords:
best practice alertiron deficiencyiron deficiency anemiaquality improvement

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