The impact of patient-held health records on continuity of care among asylum seekers in reception centres: a cluster-randomised stepped wedge trial in Germany

Introduction The aim of this study was to assess the effectiveness of a patient-held health record (PHR) for asylum seekers on the availability of health-related information.Methods An explorative, cluster-randomised stepped-wedge trial with reception centres as unit of randomisation was conducted....

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Main Authors: Kayvan Bozorgmehr, Cornelia Straßner, Stefan Noest, Stella Preussler, Rosa Jahn, Sandra Ziegler, Katharina Wahedi
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: BMJ Publishing Group 2019-07-01
Series:BMJ Global Health
Online Access:https://gh.bmj.com/content/4/4/e001610.full
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author Kayvan Bozorgmehr
Cornelia Straßner
Stefan Noest
Stella Preussler
Rosa Jahn
Sandra Ziegler
Katharina Wahedi
author_facet Kayvan Bozorgmehr
Cornelia Straßner
Stefan Noest
Stella Preussler
Rosa Jahn
Sandra Ziegler
Katharina Wahedi
author_sort Kayvan Bozorgmehr
collection DOAJ
description Introduction The aim of this study was to assess the effectiveness of a patient-held health record (PHR) for asylum seekers on the availability of health-related information.Methods An explorative, cluster-randomised stepped-wedge trial with reception centres as unit of randomisation was conducted. All reception centres (n=6) in two large administrative areas in South Germany with on-site health services were included. All physicians working at these centres were invited to participate in the study. The intervention was the implementation of a PHR. The primary outcome was the prevalence of written health-related information. Secondary outcomes were the physicians’ dissatisfaction with the available written information and the prevalence of missing health-related information. All outcomes were measured at the level of patient–physician contacts by means of a standardised questionnaire, and analysed in logistic multi-level regression models.Results We obtained data on 2308 patient–physician contacts. The presence of the PHR increased the availability of health-related information (adjusted OR (aOR), 20.3, 95% CI: 12.74 to 32.33), and tended to reduce missing essential information (aOR 0.71, 95% CI: 0.39 to 1.26) and physicians’ dissatisfaction with available information (aOR 0.5, 95% CI: 0.24 to 1.04). The availability of health-related information in the post-intervention period was higher (aOR 4.22, 95% CI: 2.64 to 6.73), missing information (aOR 0.89, 95% CI: 0.42 to 1.88) and dissatisfaction (aOR 0.43, 95% CI: 0.16 to 1.14) tended to be lower compared with the pre-intervention period.Conclusions Healthcare planners should consider introducing PHRs in reception centres or comparable facilities. Future research should focus on the impact of PHRs on clinical outcomes and on intersectoral care.Trial registration ISRCTN13212716. Registered 24 November 2016. Retrospectively registered. http://www.isrctn.com/ISRCTN13212716
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spelling doaj-art-f17e2a5121ed42e8822c2c5df63b72302024-12-14T16:40:09ZengBMJ Publishing GroupBMJ Global Health2059-79082019-07-014410.1136/bmjgh-2019-001610The impact of patient-held health records on continuity of care among asylum seekers in reception centres: a cluster-randomised stepped wedge trial in GermanyKayvan Bozorgmehr0Cornelia Straßner1Stefan Noest2Stella Preussler3Rosa Jahn4Sandra Ziegler5Katharina Wahedi6Department of Population Medicine and Health Services Research, School of Public Health, Bielefeld University, Bielefeld, Nordrhein-Westfalen, GermanyDepartment of General Practice and Health Services Research, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany1 Department of General Practice and Health Services Research, Social Determinants, Equity & Migration Group, University Hospital Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany2 Institute of Medical Biometry and Informatics, University Hospital Heidelberg, Heidelberg, GermanyUniversity Hospital Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany1 Department of General Practice and Health Services Research, Social Determinants, Equity & Migration Group, University Hospital Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany1 Department of General Practice and Health Services Research, Social Determinants, Equity & Migration Group, University Hospital Heidelberg, Heidelberg, GermanyIntroduction The aim of this study was to assess the effectiveness of a patient-held health record (PHR) for asylum seekers on the availability of health-related information.Methods An explorative, cluster-randomised stepped-wedge trial with reception centres as unit of randomisation was conducted. All reception centres (n=6) in two large administrative areas in South Germany with on-site health services were included. All physicians working at these centres were invited to participate in the study. The intervention was the implementation of a PHR. The primary outcome was the prevalence of written health-related information. Secondary outcomes were the physicians’ dissatisfaction with the available written information and the prevalence of missing health-related information. All outcomes were measured at the level of patient–physician contacts by means of a standardised questionnaire, and analysed in logistic multi-level regression models.Results We obtained data on 2308 patient–physician contacts. The presence of the PHR increased the availability of health-related information (adjusted OR (aOR), 20.3, 95% CI: 12.74 to 32.33), and tended to reduce missing essential information (aOR 0.71, 95% CI: 0.39 to 1.26) and physicians’ dissatisfaction with available information (aOR 0.5, 95% CI: 0.24 to 1.04). The availability of health-related information in the post-intervention period was higher (aOR 4.22, 95% CI: 2.64 to 6.73), missing information (aOR 0.89, 95% CI: 0.42 to 1.88) and dissatisfaction (aOR 0.43, 95% CI: 0.16 to 1.14) tended to be lower compared with the pre-intervention period.Conclusions Healthcare planners should consider introducing PHRs in reception centres or comparable facilities. Future research should focus on the impact of PHRs on clinical outcomes and on intersectoral care.Trial registration ISRCTN13212716. Registered 24 November 2016. Retrospectively registered. http://www.isrctn.com/ISRCTN13212716https://gh.bmj.com/content/4/4/e001610.full
spellingShingle Kayvan Bozorgmehr
Cornelia Straßner
Stefan Noest
Stella Preussler
Rosa Jahn
Sandra Ziegler
Katharina Wahedi
The impact of patient-held health records on continuity of care among asylum seekers in reception centres: a cluster-randomised stepped wedge trial in Germany
BMJ Global Health
title The impact of patient-held health records on continuity of care among asylum seekers in reception centres: a cluster-randomised stepped wedge trial in Germany
title_full The impact of patient-held health records on continuity of care among asylum seekers in reception centres: a cluster-randomised stepped wedge trial in Germany
title_fullStr The impact of patient-held health records on continuity of care among asylum seekers in reception centres: a cluster-randomised stepped wedge trial in Germany
title_full_unstemmed The impact of patient-held health records on continuity of care among asylum seekers in reception centres: a cluster-randomised stepped wedge trial in Germany
title_short The impact of patient-held health records on continuity of care among asylum seekers in reception centres: a cluster-randomised stepped wedge trial in Germany
title_sort impact of patient held health records on continuity of care among asylum seekers in reception centres a cluster randomised stepped wedge trial in germany
url https://gh.bmj.com/content/4/4/e001610.full
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