Correlates for Utilization of Preventive Medicine Through the Use of Clinical Reminders at the Central Texas Veterans Health Care System

The purpose of this study was to identify variables that serve as predictors of a clinician s success in utilizing the clinical reminders software package to implement appropriate preventive medicine measures and meet performance standards. The sample consisted of 45 primary care clinicians practicing at the Central Texas Veterans Health Care System (CTVHCS). The relationship between fifteen predictor variables and two dependent variables (completion rate and success in meeting the performance measure) was assessed on a macro level and a micro level. Significant correlations at the macro level included: years out of professional school, gender, place of practice, patients treated per day, clinician s educational background, and clinician s age. At the micro level, significant correlations included: years practicing at the CTVHCS, years out of professional school, gender, patients treated per day, board certification, clinician s educational background, and clinician s age. The significant correlations and associated regression lines allowed the author to develop a clinician profile that identifies characteristics of clinicians more likely to utilize clinical reminders to implement preventive measures.
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