Reports Outline Electronic Medical Records Research from Johns Hopkins University (Integrating Social Needs Screening and Resource Referral Into Standard Ambulatory Oncology Care: A Quality Improvement Project).

A recent study conducted by researchers at Johns Hopkins University aimed to improve the screening and referral processes for health-related social resource needs (HRSN) in a gynecologic oncology clinic. The study found that only 52% of patients completed the paper-based screening, and 37% of patients with needs did not indicate their referral preference. To address these deficiencies, the researchers implemented an intervention that integrated screening and referral processes into the electronic medical record (EMR) and routine clinic workflow. The results showed that the EMR-integrated system significantly improved reach to patients, with screening compliance increasing to 97% and 100% of patients with needs having a documented referral preference. The researchers are now working on expanding this system to other ambulatory clinic settings. [Extracted from the article]