Electronic Health Records Speed Chlamydia Treatment

Electronic health records (EHRs) can significantly shorten treatment times for patients diagnosed with the sexually transmitted infection (STI) Chlamydia, according to a new study.

Researchers at Central Middlesex Hospital (London, United Kingdom) examined the medical records of patients treated at a sexual health clinic, either before or after it converted to EHRs. For each of 52 consecutive qualifying patients seen from January to March 2007 (paper case records) and 2009 (EHRs), time intervals were measured between first attendance, first positive result received, first attempted patient contact, and attendance for treatment.

The researchers found that before the clinic adopted EHRs, it took an average of 11.5 days for a patient to receive treatment after a Chlamydia diagnosis, compared with just 3.5 days under the EHR system; and even though results took 2 days longer to arrive in 2009 than in 2007, the time between first attendance and treatment decreased by 9.5 days. In 2007, 38% of patients were treated within 2 weeks of a positive result, compared with 94% in 2009. EHRs were also associated with a greater proportion of patients successfully recalled by telephone, resulting in earlier treatment. The study was published online on May 27, 2010, in the journal Sexually Transmitted Infections.

"Compared with paper notes, EHR decreased the time to recall, by eliminating three time-delaying patient recall processes. The 'time to treat' interval was dramatically reduced after the introduction of EHR,” concluded lead author Gary Brook, M.D., and colleagues. "We suggest that with the increasing use of noninvasive Chlamydia screening methods such as urine sampling, and more effective patient recall, new national standards should be set for the time taken to recall and treat infected patients.”

Chlamydia infection is a common STI in humans caused by the bacterium Chlamydia trachomatis, which is found only in humans. Chlamydia is a major infectious cause of human genital and eye disease, and is one of the most common sexually transmitted infections worldwide; it is estimated that about 1 million individuals in the United States alone are infected with Chlamydia.

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