AHRQ’s Health Care Innovations Exchange Focuses on Using Information Systems to Promote Prevention

The December 5 issue of AHRQ’s Health Care Innovations Exchange features profiles that describe ways health information technologies can be used to promote access to preventive services. In one such program, patients served by 14 medical practices in Virginia use an interactive preventive health record to learn about their preventive health needs and obtain relevant educational information and tools. Patients sign on to the system before each visit to view health information drawn from the practice’s electronic health record and complete a health risk assessment. The system then generates a summary page that lists the dates of past preventive services and associated test results, highlights missing information, and makes evidence-based recommendations on needed preventive services. The process has improved access to preventive health services, including cancer screenings and immunizations, and has generated high levels of satisfaction among providers. Read more innovation profiles related to using information systems to promote prevention on the Innovations Exchange Web site, which contains more than 750 searchable innovations and 1,500 QualityTools.