This project will develop a library of EHR-based simulations that can be used to train clinicians to change their EHR use patterns and improve diagnostic safety in ambulatory care settings.
What is the research about?
Diagnostic errors are often caused by clinicians not being able to access or synthesize the complex medical information they need for medical decision making. Making diagnoses in an ambulatory care setting requires processing information collected over a long period of time, across multiple individual encounters, and across transitions of care. Use of electronic health records (EHRs) can contribute to diagnostic errors, often because of system design issues and poor user training for clinicians. Simulation is a powerful tool that can be used to both systematically study the ways EHRs contribute to diagnostic errors, and train clinicians to prevent them.
For this grant, the research team will use a combination of administrative and claims data to identify diagnoses at risk for diagnostic error in ambulatory care settings and the EHR use errors associated with those errors. The researchers will use this data to develop simulations for five ambulatory care settings and validate the use of the simulation activities as a training tool to change clinician EHR use patterns and reduce diagnostic errors. The simulations library the research team develops (including simulation materials, scripts, and EHR charts) will be shared via an online repository along with applications that will allow the simulations to be loaded into all major EHR systems for broad dissemination and implementation.
Results from this study are forthcoming. Current and future publications from this grant will be posted here.
Primary Care Relevance
The library of validated EHR-based simulation exercises that this project plans to develop has the potential to train clinicians in ambulatory care settings to change their EHR use patterns and reduce diagnostic errors.
AHRQ Primary Care Priority Area
Harnessing data and technology to conduct research on characteristics of primary care that may influence patient outcomes, such as whole person care, care coordination, continuity of care, and comprehensiveness of care.
