Creation and evaluation of EMR-based paper clinical summaries to support HIV-care in Uganda, Africa

PurposeGetting the right information to providers can improve quality of care. We set out to provide patient-specific Electronic Medical Record (EMR)-based clinical summaries for providers taking care of HIV-positive adult patients in the resource-limited setting of Mbarara, Uganda.MethodsWe evaluated the impact of implementing these clinical summaries using time-motion techniques and provider surveys.ResultsAfter implementation of EMR-based clinical summaries, providers spent more time in direct care of patients (2.9 min vs. 2.3 min, p < 0.001), and the length of patient visits was reduced by 11.5 min. Survey respondents indicated that clinical summaries improved care, reduced mistakes, and were generally accurate. Current antiretroviral medication, patient identifying information, adherence information, current medication, and current medical problems were among the highest-rated elements of the summary.ConclusionsBy taking advantage of data stored in EMRs, efficiency and quality of care can be improved through clinical summaries, even in settings with limited resources.