Reducing EHR navigation time with an advanced hyperlipidemia management Tool: An evaluation of efficiency

Area of Science:

• Cardiovascular Medicine
• Health Informatics
• Clinical Decision Support Systems

Background:

• Effective hyperlipidemia management is vital for cardiovascular disease prevention.
• Traditional electronic health record (EHR) systems present challenges in efficiently identifying and tracking patients at risk for hyperlipidemia.
• Streamlining EHR navigation is essential for improving patient care workflows.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the impact of a Hyperlipidemia Medication Reminder System (HLD-MRS) on EHR navigation efficiency.
• To assess the system's effectiveness in enhancing patient tracking and management for hyperlipidemia.
• To determine the system's utility in a district hospital setting.

Main Methods:

• A pre-post prospective study design was employed.
• The HLD-MRS was developed to integrate patient data, clinical guidelines, and risk assessments into a unified interface.
• EHR navigation times and patient monitoring rates were compared before and after HLD-MRS implementation across multiple departments.

Main Results:

• The HLD-MRS implementation led to a significant reduction in mean EHR navigation time from 83.9s to 53.8s (p < 0.001).
• The proportion of actively monitored hyperlipidemia patients increased from 42.5% to 56.6%.
• The rate of unknown or withheld assessment status decreased substantially from 57.5% to 28.4%.

Conclusions:

• The HLD-MRS demonstrably improved EHR navigation efficiency and increased active patient monitoring for hyperlipidemia.
• This guideline-driven decision support tool shows considerable potential for optimizing hyperlipidemia care in high-volume outpatient environments.
• The system offers a promising solution for enhancing clinical workflows and patient outcomes in managing hyperlipidemia.