Table 3.
Reminders used to support patient-centered health care management in German GP practices
| Cross-sectional survey (N = 72) | Process observations (N = 6) | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Content of care | N (%) | Content of care | N (%) | Description of the reminders’ visual appearance (mode of display) |
| Chronic diseases | 54 (75.0) | Chronic diseases | 3 (50.0) | - Combination of a colored box and a short text, i.e. ‘diabetes’ (permanently displayed in a separate field)
- Diagnosis-related entries and/or billing codes in pre-defined colors (scattered/ requires interaction) |
| Chronic medication | 48 (66.7) | Oral anticoagulants | 5 (83.3) | - Combination of a colored box and a short text, i.e. ‘marcumar’ (permanently displayed in a separate field)
- ‘red hand’ symbol with a free text field detailing relevant patient information (permanently displayed in a separate field) - Billing codes in pre-defined colors (scattered/ requires interaction) - Provision of relevant aspects of care including information on anticoagulant medication when opening a patient’s EHR (pop-up window) - Handwritten information on the cover of the paper-based HR (paper-based reminder) |
| Lifestyle characteristics | 40 (55.6) | Smoker | 2 (33.3) | - Combination of colored box and a short text, i.e. ‘smoker’ (permanently displayed in a separate field)
- ‘i’ symbol with a free text field detailing relevant patient information (permanently displayed in a separate field) |
| Patient specifics | 34 (46.6) | Impairment | 4 (66.7) | - Combination of colored box and a short text, i.e. ‘poor hearing’ (permanently displayed in a separate field)
- ‘i’ symbol with a free text field detailing relevant patient information (permanently displayed in a separate field) - ‘light bulb’ symbol linked to a free text field detailing relevant patient information when clicking on it (scattered/ requires interaction) - Provision of relevant aspects of care including information on ability to see/hear when opening a patient’s EHR (pop-up window) |
| “Soft skills”, e.g., aggressive | 2 (33.3) | - Combination of colored box and a short text, i.e. ‘aggressive’ (permanently displayed in a separate field)
- ‘red hand’ symbol with a free text field detailing relevant patient information (permanently displayed in a separate field) |
||
| Allergies/ adverse events | 69 (95.8) | Not assessed | – | |
| Upcoming follow-up examinations | 41 (56.9) | Re-colonoscopy after 3 years | 5 (83.3) | - Combination of colored box and a short text, i.e. ‘colonoscopy 2018’ (permanently displayed in a separate field)
- Tagging of a postdated entry within the electronic treatment documentation using a stop sign (permanently displayed in a separate field) - Tagging of entries within the electronic treatment documentation with a specific abbreviation, i.e. ‘WV’, or an exclamation mark allowing searches (scattered/ requires interaction) - ‘light bulb’ symbol linked to a free text field detailing relevant patient information when clicking on it (scattered/ requires interaction) - Provision of relevant aspects of care including information on upcoming follow-up examinations when opening a patient’s EHR (pop-up window) |
| Sonography of the thyroid | 3 (50.0) | - Combination of colored box and a short text, i.e. ‘sono’ (permanently displayed in a separate field)
- Tagging of entries within the electronic treatment documentation with a specific abbreviation, i.e. ‘sono’, allowing searches (scattered/ requires interaction) - ‘light bulb’ symbol linked to a free text field detailing relevant patient information when clicking on it (scattered/ requires interaction) - Provision of relevant aspects of care including information on regular follow-up examinations when opening a patient’s EHR (pop-up window) |
||
| Upcoming preventive measures | 67 (93.1) | Screening tests/check-up | 4 (66.7) | - Combination of colored box and a short text, i.e. ‘check-up 2016’ (permanently displayed in a separate field)
- Tagging of entries within the electronic treatment documentation with a specific abbreviation, i.e. ‘gu’, allowing searches (scattered/ requires interaction) - ‘to do’ symbol linked to a free text field detailing relevant patient information when clicking on it (scattered/ requires interaction) - List of all preventive measures that can be billed at the moment (pop-up window) - Handwritten information on the cover of the paper-based HR (paper-based reminder) |
| Geriatric assessment | 2 (33.3) | - Combination of colored box and a short text, i.e. ‘geriatric assessment 2016’ (permanently displayed in a separate field)
- Tagging of entries within the electronic treatment documentation with a specific abbreviation, i.e. ‘egs’, allowing searches (scattered/ requires interaction) - Provision of a list of all preventive measures that can be billed at the moment (pop-up window) |
||
| Upcoming vaccinations | 49 (68.1) | Upcoming vaccinations | 3 (50.0) | - Tagging of entries within the electronic treatment documentation with a specific abbreviation, i.e. ‘imp’, allowing searches (scattered/ requires interaction)
- Traffic light scheme indicating the need for vaccination (scattered/ requires interaction) |
| Self-pay services | 8 (11.1) | Not assessed | – | |
| DMP participation | 63 (87.5) | DMP participation | 4 (66.7) | - Combination of colored box and a short text, i.e. ‘DMP diabetes’ (permanently displayed in a separate field)
- Billing codes in pre-defined colors (scattered/ requires interaction) - Handwritten information on the cover of the paper-based HR (paper-based reminder) |
| Not assessed | – | Participation in GP-centered care | 4 (66.7) | - Combination of colored box and a short text, i.e. ‘GP-centered care’ (permanently displayed in a separate field)
- Field naming the patients’ health insurance company in pre-defined colors (permanently displayed in a separate field) - Pop-up window indicating if a patient is participating or is eligible to participate in GP-centered care (pop-up window) |
| Not assessed | – | Next of kin’s involvement to care decisions | 5 (83.3) | - Combination of colored box and a short text, i.e. ‘caretaker’ (permanently displayed in a separate field)
- ‘i’ symbol with a free text field detailing relevant patient information (permanently displayed in a separate field) - ‘light bulb’ symbol linked to a free text field detailing relevant patient information when clicking on it (scattered/ requires interaction) - Provision of relevant aspects of care including information on caretaker when opening a patient’s EHR (pop-up window) - Handwritten contact information on the cover of the paper-based HR (paper-based reminder) |
| Not assessed | – | Mobile nursing service | 2 (33.3) | - Provision of relevant aspects of care including information on mobile nursing when opening a patient’s EHR (pop-up window)
- Handwritten contact information on the cover of the paper-based HR (paper-based reminder) |
| Not assessed | – | Storage of patients’ advance health care directive in the practice | 2 (33.3) | - Combination of a colored box and a short text, i.e. ‘advance health care directive’ (permanently displayed in a separate field) |