Primary and secondary prevention reminders affect on patient screening adherence in neurology outpatient clinics.

Immunisations and screenings are evidence-based clinical tools for disease prevention and management. Patient care is collaborative, yet primary care physicians govern immunisation and screening status. Research integrating specialists roles in improving screening and immunisation adherence is necessary.

Retrospective chart review of Ochsner Health System Primary Care patients comprised the patient population. Screening and immunisation assessment narrowed overdue health reminder subsets. Neurology specialty care appointments encompassed one outpatient clinic consisting of five physicians. Neurology staff maximised care gap reminders at five stages: pre-visit chart reviews, administration check in, nurse patient encounter, provider visit, and check out. Data collection included demographics, performance status and abnormal screening results.

Analysis included 1,578 patients with overdue screenings and immunisations over 11-months. 1,233 patients (78.14%) had screening or immunisation reminders at outpatient service. Care gap compliance increased in 121 patients, an increase of 7.67%. Aggregate Pearson Chi-Square testing of reminders with patient adherence was statistically significant (95% Confidence Interval: z=2.154 c=1.96 p=0.031). Yet, individual analysis of screening and immunisation groups was insignificant.

Our results support the hypothesis that patient adherence increased with team reminders. Integrating healthcare reminders into existing workflows required minimal investment. Neurologist prevention reminders positively impacted the community. Despite subset statistical insignificance, optimisation with larger representative samples is predicted. Practical sequelae include increased vaccine administration, provider engagement, and healthcare savings. Healthcare reminders provide clinical teams with a tool to better patient and community care. Future research aims to investigate how technological and digital innovation can be leveraged to reduce implicit bias for patient populations receiving sub optimal care at all Ochsner Health System speciality clinics.