Bringing the Clinic Home Through Technology: A Quality Improvement Project
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Authors
Pressley, Chelsea K.
Issue Date
2021
Type
Thesis
Language
en_US
Keywords
Obesity , Pediatric Care , Attrition , Quality Improvement , Research Subject Categories::INTERDISCIPLINARY RESEARCH AREAS::Caring sciences::Nursing
Alternative Title
Description/Abstract
Background: According to the Centers for Disease Control (2019), childhood obesity affects more than 13.7 million children in the United States. Childhood obesity can lead to chronic illness and early mortality. Unfortunately, current treatment plans for childhood obesity have been unsuccessful. This quality improvement project aims to determine whether the use of technology, specifically online website modules, can improve outcomes and the quality of care for patients attending a specialty clinic for childhood obesity.
Methods: A prospective designed mixed-method study was performed in a pediatric clinic specializing in treating pediatric patients who were overweight and obese. The primary investigator created evidence-based, interventional online modules for patients to access outside of clinic hours. The measured outcomes were module views, caregiver satisfaction with the online modules, provider adherence to electronic health record documentation and their satisfaction with online modules. Module views were tracked through Google Analytics. Questionnaires were dispersed after the implementation to gage provider and caregiver satisfaction with the clinic. A retrospective chart review was performed to track provider compliance with the electronic health record for quality measures.
Results: There was insufficient participation in the quality improvement project; thus, no significant data results are reportable.
Conclusion: The aim was to improve compliance and attrition at a pediatric weight management clinic. The quality improvement project was unsuccessful for several reasons. Further recommendations include performing a similar project after a global pandemic, increase availability of internet resources, and an increase in education of how to utilize technology for providers.