LAUSR

In 2013, the United States Preventative Services Task Force released a recommendation that patients born between 1945 and 1965 (baby boomers) be screened for Hepatitis C virus antibody (anti-HCV). To increase Hepatitis C screening, treatment, and number of cures for the baby boomer population at Scott & White Medical Center-Temple in Central Texas through Electronic Medical Record (EMR) reminders, an Institutional Review Board-approved prospective study comparing hepatitis C screening one year before and one year after EMR reminder activation was performed. Laboratory results, clinic referrals, and outcomes of hepatitis C treatment were determined. After implementing the EMR reminder, the number and percentage of baby boomers screened for hepatitis C increased from 1.87% to 14.14%. In conclusion, EMR reminders are an effective way to increase screening, referral, treatment, and cure for Hepatitis C in the baby boomer population. This is a simple strategy which can be easily implemented in the majority of practices in the United States that utilize the same EMR system. Additional components, such as HIV screening, can be quickly added, and individual providers and divisions can run their own actionable reports. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.