Hepatitis C Screening Improvement with EMR and Population Health Tools

Health systems and clinicians now have an unprecedented opportunity to close the gaps in HCV screening and care with improvements to HCV treatment. In order to stifle the rise in morbidity and mortality related to HCV, patients should enter a continuum of care that begins with screening and ends with effective HCV treatment and the opportunity for cure. One strategy for effectively capturing patients who are eligible for HCV screening is to implement electronic medical record (EMR) alerts, and/or the use of a Population Health Tool. Automated best practice screening alerts through health center EMRs or population health tools, can significantly improve the ability to identify and capture patients who have not been tested for HCV.

The National Association of County Health Officials (NACCHO) states that something as simple as creating a Best Practice Alert (BPA) can capture patients who are in need of HCV Screening based on their age range and the absence of a previous lab test and their scheduled visit.

Additionally, NACCHO recommends targeted EMR Alerts to identify patients:

• Born between January 1, 1945, and December 31, 1965
• With no evidence of HCV or prior screening
• Scheduled to visit with a provider
• Provide screening pop-up window when a patient registers
• Offer educational materials when a patient signs in

Population Health tools can also lend a hand in tracking and improvement of HCV screening if they are embedded or housed on top of an EMR. MetroHealth, in Cuyahoga County Ohio, used a population health tools embedded in their electronic medical record (EMR) to identify patients due for HCV screenings. With the help of these tools, staff were able to order screening tests for the patient as quickly as the click of a button. The EMR would automatically send a detailed message to the patient’s personal health record describing HCV and encouraging the patient to schedule their screening test at one of their testing labs.

Ohio FQHCs who are interested can read more about one specific population tool, AzaraDRVS, and its capability to track patients eligible for HCV Screening here. 

Hepatitis C Clinical Support Tools Quality Improvement and Electronic Health Record Tips


Population Health Tools in EMR Significantly Improve HCV Screening Rates