COMMITTEE CHAIR: Dr. Chloe Gaines

TITLE: IMPROVING HOT DEBRIEF COMPLETION RATES AFTER RAPID RESPONSE TEAM EVENTS THROUGH QR CODE ACCESS AND DIGITAL REMINDERS: A QUALITY IMPROVEMENT PROJECT

ABSTRACT: Background: Childhood obesity is a significant public health concern associated with metabolic, cardiovascular, and psychosocial complications. Despite evidence-based recommendations, adherence to pediatric obesity management guidelines remains inconsistent in primary care settings. Purpose: The purpose of this evidence-based quality improvement project was to determine whether provider education on the 2023 American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) Clinical Practice Guideline for the Evaluation and Treatment of Children and Adolescents with Obesity, combined with implementation of an electronic health record (EHR) clinical decision support prompt, improved provider knowledge and adherence to guideline-recommended obesity management practices. Methods: A quasi-experimental pre-post design was conducted in a privately owned pediatric primary care clinic in Northwest Houston, Texas. The intervention consisted of a provider education session and implementation of an EHR prompt that activated when a patient’s body mass index (BMI) was at or above the 95th percentile. Provider knowledge was assessed using pre- and post-test surveys. Adherence was evaluated through retrospective chart reviews comparing pre-intervention and post-intervention outcomes for pediatric patients with obesity. Results: Provider knowledge improved following the educational intervention. Mean knowledge scores increased from 7.33 on the pre-test to 9.00 on the post-test, with a mean difference of 1.67 points and a large effect size (Cohen’s d = 1.29). Adherence among patients aged 10 years and older increased from 7.7% (3/39) during the pre-intervention period to 12.5% (4/32) during the post-intervention period. Adherence among patients younger than 10 years remained 0.0% during both periods. Although adherence increased following implementation, Fisher’s exact test indicated no statistically significant association between time period and adherence to AAP guideline recommendations (p = .701). Cohen’s h was 0.119, indicating a small effect size. Conclusion: Provider education combined with EHR clinical decision support improved provider knowledge and was associated with a very small increase in adherence to evidence-based pediatric obesity management guidelines. Although statistically significant improvements in adherence were not observed during the three-month implementation period, the intervention demonstrated feasibility within a pediatric primary care setting and showed potential to support guideline-concordant obesity management. Continued implementation and ongoing monitoring may further improve adherence and support sustainable practice change.

Keywords: Childhood obesity management, provider education, electronic health record prompt, guideline adherence

 Location Online:

Zoom Link: https://pvpanther.zoom.us/j/93479828577?pwd=inkUMW0Ajr8tuCmjFE4fxzWVVlU2T6.1

Meeting ID: 934 7982 8577

Passcode: 955076