Functional Assessment Screening Patient Reported Information

The proposed project, Functional Assessment Screening Tablets-Patient Reported Information, has been developed in response to PAR-08-270: Utilizing Health Information Technology to Improve Health Care Quality (R18). Tobacco, physical activity, and poor mental health-related quality of life (HRQoL) are major causes of morbidity and mortality that are not being adequately addressed in the current systems of care. Healthcare providers play an important role in encouraging healthy behaviors and identifying factors that impact patients' HRQoL. Clinicians are most effective in this role when they partner with informed, activated, and engaged patients. The investigators will evaluate a new tool, based our current "Functional Assessment Screening Tablets (FAST)," that is designed to inform and activate patients about their own patient reported information (PRI). The FAST currently uses wirelessly-networked tablet computers to collect PRI while patients wait to see their primary care provider and provides this PRI to providers at the time of the patient's visit. The new health information technology (HIT)-based tool, used in the FAST-PRI intervention and referred to as HIT patient feedback, provides patients with self-management support through immediate, personalized, guideline-based feedback about their health behaviors (tobacco use and physical inactivity) and mental HRQoL and encourages them to take a more active role in their health. Completion of this cluster-randomized controlled trial, FAST-PRI, will provide important information on the effectiveness of using HIT patient feedback to inform and activate patients and promote health behavior change. The investigators will accomplish this through the following three specific aims:

Aim 1. Use HIT patient feedback regarding study-designated PRI (i.e., tobacco use, physical inactivity, and mental HRQoL) to activate patients.

Aim 2. Assess the impact of HIT patient feedback on study-designated PRI. Aim 3. Evaluate potential mediators of the effectiveness of HIT patient feedback on study-designated PRI.

The investigators will conduct a 12-month randomized controlled trial of HIT patient feedback, clustered at the physician level, in an academic group medical practice. Patients and providers will complete questionnaires regarding discussions of health behaviors and HRQoL at each clinical encounter. In addition, patient participants will complete questionnaires regarding smoking quit attempts, physical activity, and their mental HRQoL, as well as self-efficacy and use of interdisciplinary referral at baseline, six and twelve months. The investigators will survey physicians regarding self-efficacy at baseline, 12 and 24 months. Finally, we will abstract referral data from the electronic medical record regarding health behaviors, HRQoL, and referrals.

Inclusion criteria

Physicians will be eligible to participate if:

• They see patients in the GIMO practice and
• They consent to participate in FAST-PRI.

Patients will be eligible to participate if:

• They are 18 years or older,
• Complete a FAST questionnaire at that visit,
• Have at least one study-designated PRI (i.e.,

• Tobacco use,
• Physical inactivity, or
• Poor mental HRQoL (MHC≤38))
• Consent to participate, and
• Speak English. FAST is only available in English.

Exclusion criteria

Physicians will be ineligible to participate if:

• They are planning to leave the practice during the study period or
• See patients fewer than 4 hours/week.

Patients will be ineligible to participate if:

• They are planning to relocate during the study period.