Data Quality of Chemotherapy-Induced Nausea and Vomiting Documentation

Appl Clin Inform. 2021 Mar;12(2):320-328. doi: 10.1055/s-0041-1728698. Epub 2021 Apr 21.

Abstract

Objective: The objective of the study was to characterize the completeness and concordance of the electronic health record (EHR) documentation of cancer symptoms among multidisciplinary health care professionals.

Methods: We examined the EHRs of children, adolescents, and young adults who received highly emetogenic chemotherapy and characterized the completeness and concordance of chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting (CINV) documentation by clinician type and by the International Classification of Diseases 10th Revision (ICD-10) coding choice.

Results: The EHRs of 127 patients, comprising 870 patient notes, were abstracted and reviewed. A CINV assessment was documented by prescribers in 75% of patients, and by nurses in 58% of patients. Of the 60 encounters where both prescribers and nurses documented, 72% agreed on the presence/absence of CINV.

Conclusion: Most patients receiving highly emetogenic chemotherapy had a documented assessment of CINV; however, many had incomplete or discordant documentation of CINV from different providers by role, implying the importance of incorporating pragmatic knowledge of EHR documentation patterns among multidisciplinary health professionals for EHR phenotyping and clinical decision support systems directed toward cancer-related symptom management.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Antiemetics* / therapeutic use
  • Antineoplastic Agents* / adverse effects
  • Child
  • Data Accuracy
  • Documentation
  • Humans
  • Nausea / chemically induced
  • Neoplasms* / drug therapy
  • Prospective Studies
  • Vomiting / chemically induced
  • Young Adult

Substances

  • Antiemetics
  • Antineoplastic Agents