A primary care, electronic health record-based strategy to….pdfVIP

Przytula et al. Trials (2015) 16:17 DOI 10.1186/s13063-014-0524-x TRIALS STUDY PROTOCOL Open Access A primary care, electronic health record-based strategy to promote safe drug use: study protocol for a randomized controlled trial 1 2 3,4 5 4 6 Kamila Przytula , Stacy Cooper Bailey , William L Galanter , Bruce L Lambert , Neeha Shrestha , Carolyn Dickens , Suzanne Falck3 and Michael S Wolf1* Abstract Background: The Northwestern University Center for Education and Research on Therapeutics (CERT), funded by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, is one of seven such centers in the USA. The thematic focus of the Northwestern CERT is ‘Tools for Optimizing Medication Safety.’ Ensuring drug safety is essential, as many adults struggle to take medications, with estimates indicating that only half of adults take drugs as prescribed. This report describes the methods and rationale for one innovative project within the CERT: the ‘Primary Care, Electronic Health Record-Based Strategy to Promote Safe and Appropriate Drug Use’. Methods/Design: The overall objective of this 5-year study is to evaluate a health literacy-informed, electronic health record-based strategy for promoting safe and effective prescription medication use in a primary care setting. A total of 600 English and Spanish-speaking patients with diabetes will be consecutively recruited to participate in the study. Patients will be randomized to receive either usual care or the intervention; those in the intervention arm will receive a set of print materials designed to support medication use and prompt provider