EHR messaging before first visit fosters a stronger patient-physician connection

A pre-visit questionnaire with EHR integration significantly improved family history documentation, with 16.1% of patients having new entries within 30 days. This approach also supported personalized prevention and referrals, including screening recommendations and lifestyle advice.

Adult patients in an academic family medicine clinic preferred portal messages from their own primary care physician within three days. When not choosing portal messaging, they prioritized faster video visits with another physician over longer wait times.

Primary care clinicians are testing AI-assisted patient messaging to reduce burnout, with mixed results. The study found that careful prompt design is crucial for effective AI-generated responses, varying by specialty, message type, and patient population.

The study introduced an Epic electronic health record workflow to auto-order preventive and chronic disease tests for complex older adults. This approach has improved patient engagement, reduced post-visit results communication, and minimized cancellations.

A new Ontario-based study suggests that children aged three months to two years are more likely to visit the emergency department within three days of a virtual primary care appointment compared to an in-person visit. In-person appointments may be preferable for young children with acute concerns.

A new study from Mayo Clinic introduces MedEduChat, an EHR-integrated AI agent providing accurate and patient-specific prostate cancer education. The tool delivers clear explanations based on each patient's health record, improving confidence and understanding of diagnosis and treatment options.