Computer-based Patient Provider Communication about CAM Use

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): This competitive revision will build upon our parent award, 2R44HD055719-02, entitled Computer-based Patient Provider Communication about CAM Use, to develop a companion software application for mobile devices that allows healthcare providers to search a database of herbal monographs at the point of care, enabling clinical decision support and risk management. Use of Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM) has experienced significant growth in the United States (Tindle et al. 2005) and an increasing number of healthcare providers have expressed interest in learning about CAM (Frenkel et al. 2004). This mobile app will encourage communication between providers and patients leading to benefits including overall awareness of CAM, patient satisfaction of care, and greater patient safety. In order to evaluate the mobile application and assess its utility as both an adjunct to the parent kiosk-based system and a stand-alone tool, healthcare providers in several outpatient care centers will be recruited as part of the study. The effectiveness of the mobile app will be evaluated in terms of its ability to improve provider awareness of CAM, facilitate patient-provider discussion and increase overall patient safety and satisfaction. The proposed revision supports the objectives recognized in NOT-OD-10-034: NIH Announces the Availability of Recovery Act Funds for Competitive Revision Applications for Small Business Innovation Research and Small Business Transfer Technology Research Grants (R43/R44 and R41/R42) through the NIH Basic Behavioral and Social Science Opportunity Network (OppNet). PUBLIC HEALTH RELEVANCE: Despite their growing prevalence, Complimentary and Alternative Medicine (CAM) therapies are seldom a topic of discussion between healthcare professionals and patients. Lack of communication about CAM can place patients at risk, as some herbal products can have adverse interactions with pharmaceuticals or cause harmful side effects. The mobile software application envisioned in this application will fill a critical void in our healthcare system's ability to properly document patients' medication history, provide much needed provider education about CAM treatments, and improve patient safety and quality of care.