The Impact of Guideline Integration into Electronic Medical Records on Outcomes for Patients with Diabetes: A Systematic Review.

Optimal strategies for integration of clinical practice guidelines into electronic medical records and its impact on processes of care and clinical outcomes in diabetic patients are not well understood. A systematic review of CINAHL, MEDLINE, PubMed, and Cochrane Library databases in August 2016, November 2017, and June 2020 was conducted. Studies investigating integration of diabetes guidelines into ambulatory care electronic medical records reporting quantitative results were included. After screening 15,783 records, 21 articles were included. Lipid and blood pressure control consistently improved with guideline integration, but A1c control remained equivocal. Electronic guideline integration improved microvascular complication screening, vaccination, and documentation of cardiovascular risk factors, while medication prescription and blood pressure, lipid, and A1c documentation did not improve. Studies employing a combination of electronic record intervention strategies were associated with improvement in monitoring and attainment of guideline and screening targets. Thus, strategies employing combinations of interventions to incorporate guidelines into electronic records may improve processes of care and some clinical outcomes.