Gaps In Electronic Health Records Challenge Alcohol-Related Care In Primary Care

Most electronic health record (EHR) systems used by primary care practices lack essential tools for documenting diagnosis or receipt of care for alcohol use disorder (AUD), which negatively impacts the prevention and treatment of AUDs. About 3% of primary care practices using one of 21 EHRs reviewed could generate reports on preventive measures such as brief interventions. About 45% of the practices could report on treatment initiation and engagement for AUD.

Of the 21 EHRs evaluated, more than half had one of the ten basic EHR functions required to support evidence-based alcohol-related prevention and had two of the . . .