Scott Gee, MD
Preventive Health Prompt
“When you have an idea to do something different that could improve quality, it’s important to run with it, because every once in a while, something amazing will.”
Nothing in Kaiser Permanente is more ubiquitous than the Preventive Health Prompt (PHP) – a series of reminders printed on 17 million patient registration slips a year.
Conceived by Dr. Gee as a way to use CIPS to help implement the 1996 Preventive Care Guidelines, the PHP has evolved into a consistent reminder for both TPMG physicians and their patients about screening tests and immunizations that may be due. “It was the first time we used our computer technology to give the member and the physician a shared decision tool,” notes Dr. Gee. “It also was the first time our members saw the power of our integrated system to do something that no other health care provider could equal.”
Implemented regionwide in 1998, the Preventive Health Prompt has contributed to improving preventive services, including adolescent immunization, diabetic retinal screening, elderly flu vaccinations, Hemoglobin A1c screening and LDL control for patients with coronary artery disease.
“One of the drivers of my work is to improve clinical quality,” Dr. Gee comments. “But at the same time I want to make our lives as physicians easier.” With these goals in mind, he’s currently working on a team to assure that the features of the Preventive Health Prompt are integrated into the upcoming KP Health Connect computer system.