A Best Practice Alert for Identifying Hepatitis B-Infected Patients

Am J Trop Med Hyg. 2020 Aug;103(2):884-886. doi: 10.4269/ajtmh.20-0041. Epub 2020 May 14.

Abstract

We developed and evaluated the Global Health Wizard Hepatitis B Best Practice Alert (BPA) to increase primary care provider adherence to evidence-based guidelines for hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection screening in non-U.S.-born patients. We conducted a pilot study using nine clinics to test BPA effectiveness. Eligible patients were aged ≥ 12 years, from a country of origin with ≥ 2% HBV prevalence, had no electronic health record documentation of HBV screening, and were seen for primary care during July 2012-March 2013. The BPA triggered for > 4,500 patients and identified six previously unrecognized HBV-infected patients. The pilot project demonstrated BPA effectiveness and continued to be used at pilot clinics until 2018 and was expanded to additional clinics in 2019; 29 additional HBV-infected patients were identified. Although successful, BPA usage steadily decreased over time. Poor BPA usage limits the power to achieve the goal of improved population-based HBV screening.

Publication types

  • Randomized Controlled Trial
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S.

MeSH terms

  • Decision Support Systems, Clinical*
  • Electronic Health Records
  • Emigrants and Immigrants*
  • Hepatitis B, Chronic / diagnosis*
  • Hepatitis B, Chronic / epidemiology
  • Humans
  • Mass Screening
  • Pilot Projects
  • Practice Guidelines as Topic
  • Primary Health Care*
  • Undiagnosed Diseases / epidemiology
  • United States / epidemiology