Trends in breast and prostate cancer screening and diagnostic procedures during the COVID-19 pandemic in central Massachusetts.

Purpose: We calculated rates of breast and prostate cancer screening and diagnostic procedures performed during the COVID-19 pandemic through December 2021 compared to the same months in 2019 in a large healthcare provider group in central Massachusetts.

Methods: We included active patients of the provider group between January 2019 and December 2021 aged 30-85 years. Monthly rates of screening mammography and digital breast tomosynthesis, breast MRI, total prostate specific antigen (PSA), and breast or prostate biopsy per 1,000 people were compared by year overall, by age, and race/ethnicity.

Recruitment Challenges for Low-Risk Health System Intervention Trials in Older Adults: A Case Study.

Objective: To assess factors associated with trial participation in the context of a low-risk intervention intended to reduce adverse drug events in recently hospitalized older adults.

Design: Mixed methods: analysis of data collected during enrollment efforts and focus groups.

Setting: A large, multispecialty group practice.

Improving Rates of Influenza Vaccination Through Electronic Health Record Portal Messages, Interactive Voice Recognition Calls and Patient-Enabled Electronic Health Record Updates: Protocol for a Randomized Controlled Trial.

Background: Clinical decision support (CDS), including computerized reminders for providers and patients, can improve health outcomes. CDS promoting influenza vaccination, delivered directly to patients via an electronic health record (EHR) patient portal and interactive voice recognition (IVR) calls, offers an innovative approach to improving patient care.

Objective: To test the effectiveness of an EHR patient portal and IVR outreach to improve rates of influenza vaccination in a large multispecialty group practice in central Massachusetts.

Quality measurement of medication monitoring in the "meaningful use" era.

Objectives: While the 2011 implementation of "meaningful use" legislation for certified electronic health records (EHRs) promises to change quality reporting by overcoming data capture issues affecting quality measurement, the magnitude of this effect is unclear. We compared the measured quality of laboratory monitoring of Healthcare Effectiveness Data and Information Set (HEDIS) medications based on specifications that (1) include and exclude patients hospitalized in the measurement year and (2) use physician test orders and patient test completion.

Study Design: Cross-sectional study.

Development and pilot testing of guidelines to monitor high-risk medications in the ambulatory setting.

Objectives: To develop guidelines to monitor high-risk medications and to assess the prevalence of laboratory testing for these medications among a multispecialty group practice.

Study Design: Safety intervention trial.

Methods: We developed guidelines for the laboratory monitoring of high-risk medications as part of a patient safety intervention trial.

Risk factors for adverse drug events among older adults in the ambulatory setting.

Objectives: To gather information on patient-level factors associated with risk of adverse drug events (ADEs) that may allow focus of prevention efforts on patients at high risk.

Design: Nested case-control study.

Setting: Large multispecialty group practice in New England.