Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease affects 16 million Americans, making it one of the most common health conditions in the United States. The most effective way to diagnose COPD is to measure lung capacity and function with spirometry, more commonly known as pulmonary function testing. Although spirometry is noninvasive and highly effective, some patients with COPD aren't referred for testing as soon as they should be, causing delays in treatment. Fortunately, EHR interventions using the pulmonary EHR Saas by ModuleMD can help identify at-risk patients and ensure they complete spirometry testing as soon as possible.
Proven Benefits of EHR Interventions for Patients with COPD
In 2022, a team of researchers investigated the impact of an electronic health record intervention on spirometry completion in patients with COPD. The team, led by Christine Wang of Case Western Reserve University, identified patients with a COPD diagnosis and at least one ambulatory primary care encounter within the previous two years. Some patients were assigned to a pre-intervention group, and others were assigned to a post-intervention group.
Researchers created three EHR interventions for this study:
- Health maintenance reminder: The first intervention prompted primary care providers to order spirometry testing for patients who'd been diagnosed with COPD and hadn't completed any pulmonary functon testing yet.
- Updated spirometry order: Wang and her colleagues updated the existing spirometry order, making it easier for providers to order spirometry testing via the EHR instead of having to order it by phone.
- Patient messages: Participants received messages via the patient portal instructing them to schedule spirometry testing.
More than 19% of the participants in the post-intervention cohort went on to complete spirometry testing, while only 13.2% of participants in the pre-intervention group completed the testing, demonstrating the value of using EHR interventions to promote spirometry completion. The number of spirometry referrals was also higher in the post-intervention group—1,071 referrals out of 3,392 participants (31.6%), compared with 539 referrals for 2,662 participants (20.2%) in the pre-intervention group.
Using the Pulmonary EHR SaaS by ModuleMD to Promote Spirometry Completion
ModuleMD offers one of the few EMR systems designed specifically for busy pulmonologists. When you use the pulmonary EHR SaaS by ModuleMD, you don't have to worry about paying for extra features or wasting time on workflows that don't apply to your practice. Based on input from practicing pulmonologists, ModuleMD's developers created customizable workflows that can be used for spirometry, diagnostic pulmonary testing and much more.
The cloud-based software also comes with tools for practice management and revenue management. If you switch to the ModuleMD pulmonary EHR SaaS, you'll spend less time on administrative functions and more time supporting patients with respiratory diseases. With ModuleMD, it's also possible to test a variety of EHR interventions to ensure that every patient receives the appropriate testing and monitoring.
Schedule a Demo of the ModuleMD Pulmonary EHR SaaS
ModuleMD is standing by to provide a demo that shows you exactly how to use the pulmonary EHR SaaS to grow your practice and provide better care to every patient. To schedule a demonstration, call us at (877) 347-7978.