Development and usability of an EHR-driven hypertension disparities dashboard in primary care: A qualitative study.

Hypertension disparities persist and remain high among racial and ethnic minority populations in the United States (US). Data-driven approaches based on electronic health records (EHRs) in primary care are seen as a strong opportunity to address this situation. This qualitative study evaluated the development, sustainability, and usability of an EHR-integrated hypertension disparities dashboard for health care professionals in primary care. Ten semi-structured interviews, exploring the approach and sustainability, as well as eight usability interviews, using the think aloud protocol were conducted with quality improvement managers, data analysts, program managers, evaluators, and primary care providers. For the results, dashboard development steps include having clear goals, defining a target audience, compiling data, and building multidisciplinary teams. For sustainability, the dashboard can enhance understanding of the social determinants of health or to inform QI projects. In terms of dashboard usability, positive aspects consisted of the inclusion of summary pages, patient's detail pages, and hover-over interface. Important design considerations were refining sorting functions, gender inclusivity, and increasing dashboard visibility. In sum, an EHR-driven dashboard can be a novel tool for addressing hypertension disparities in primary care. It offers a platform where clinicians can identify patients for culturally tailored interventions. Factors such as physician time constraints, data definitions, comprehensive patient demographic information, end-users, and future sustenance, should be considered before implementing a dashboard. Additional research is needed to identify practices for integrating a dashboard into clinical workflow for hypertension.

Assessment of Family Medicine Obstetrics Fellowship Websites in the United States: Content and Usability.

INTRODUCTION: The United States is experiencing maternity care shortages. Family physicians can play a role in addressing these shortages. Family medicine obstetrics fellowships train family physicians in obstetrics care. Fellowship websites are important for promoting programs and attracting applicants. However, whether websites provide sufficient program information is unknown. This study aimed to assess completeness and utility of family medicine obstetrics fellowship websites across the United States. METHOD: The study analyzed 46 family medicine obstetrics fellowship websites. The component analysis evaluated the presence of 17 components related to orientation, curriculum, program, personnel, and additional content. The qualitative analysis included ratings for navigation and application, information quality, and esthetics. Analysis included percentages for websites and components and average qualitative ratings. RESULTS: Common components included overviews, training requirements, and contact information. Description of the patient population was the least common component. Usability ratings varied across programs, with higher ratings observed for navigation and application, and information quality. Esthetics and visual appeal received lower ratings. Regional analysis indicated that websites from fellowships in the West and Southwest tended to include more components compared to those in the Southeast. DISCUSSION: Family medicine obstetrics fellowship websites serve as valuable sources of program information for prospective applicants. However, not all websites include essential program details. Some information is rarely provided. Given the shortage of maternity care providers, it is crucial to develop informative and functional websites to attract applicants. Improving website content and design could prove to be a cost-effective strategy to increase the number of applicants.