PREVENTION PRACTICE PROJECT CUSTOMIZATION

HEALTHQUAL AND INVESTIGATORS AFFILIATED WITH THE PREVENTION PRACTICE PROJECT (PPP) AT THE UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO AND JOHNS HOPKINS HAVE DEVELOPED AND TESTED AN INEXPENSIVE, PATIENT-DRIVEN, COMPUTERIZED REMINDER SYSTEM THAT HELPS PROVIDERS IMPLEMENT PRACTICE GUIDELINES. THIS PROJECT TAKES THIS UNIQUE INFORMATION TOOL FROM THE ACADEMIC REALM TO A FORM SUITABLE FOR WIDE DISSEMINATION TO PROVIDERS, SIGNIFICANTLY IMPROVING THE QUANTITY AND QUALITY OF PREVENTIVE CARE OFFERED. THE PPP SOFTWARE EMPLOYS THE HEALTHQUIZ COMPUTER, A PORTABLE, BATTERY-POWERED, LAPTOP DEVICE ON WHICH PATIENTS READ (OR LISTEN TO) HEALTH-RELATED QUESTIONS AND INDICATE ANSWERS BY PRESSING LARGE, PRESSURE-SENSITIVE BUTTONS. THE COMPUTER ACQUIRES INFORMATION ABOUT HEALTH, LIFESTYLE, AND SOCIAL STRESSORS FROM PATIENTS AND QUANTITATIVE DATA (E. G., BIRTHDATE) FROM THE SECRETARY. THIS INFORMATION IS ANALYZED TO 1) IDENTIFY RISK FACTORS FOR PREVENTABLE DISEASE, 2) PROVIDE HIGHLY SPECIFIC, INDIVIDUALIZED RECOMMENDATIONS FOR PREVENTION, AND 3) PROMOTE EFFECTIVE HEALTH EFFECTIVE HEALTH COUNSELING MATCHED TO INDIVIDUAL PATIENTS. WE WILL DEVELOP AND TEST A CUSTOMIZATION PROGRAM AND MANUAL THAT ALLOWS CLINICIANS TO EASILY CUSTOMIZE THE PPP SOFTWARE TO SUIT THEIR UNIQUE NEEDS AND TO ENSURE SMOOTH IMPLEMENTATION OF PREVENTION OR OTHER PRACTICE GUIDELINES IN THEIR ENVIRONMENT. THIS PROJECT THUS FACILITATES TWO OBJECTIVES OF HEALTHY PEOPLE 2000: INDIVIDUALIZED PREVENTIVE INTERVENTIONS INTEGRATED INTO ROUTINES OF BUSY PHYSICIANS, AND TRACKING PREVENTIVE SERVICES RENDERED.