Electronic Referrals to Quitlines: The Massachusetts Experience

Audience:
Quitline vendors or state tobacco control programs planning or considering adopting electronic referrals for their state quitline.

Key Points:
Electronic referrals to state quitlines are considered an important advance in quitline service delivery that have the capacity to better integrate quitlines into healthcare systems, provide improved care to patients, increase the reach and impact of quitlines, as well as improve the public’s health by reducing tobacco use prevalence.  Two case studies will be presented from large provider practices in Massachusetts that implemented electronic referrals in October 2010.  The planning and implementation phases of the projects will be described, with descriptions of the different task flows and provider requested adaptations to the records.  Descriptions of the monitoring and reporting to each provider practice will be described using template reports.  Recently planned improvements and program changes will be detailed, including a new assessment tool that has been developed for other practices considering using electronic referrals.

Key informant interviews will be described concerning planning, implementation and outcomes to date.  The practice that implemented electronic referrals as part of an effort to meet certification requirements for National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA) measures for Patient Centered Medical Homes demonstrated an increase in referrals.  The practice that implemented electronic referrals without a stated quality improvement goal maintained the same level of provider referrals.  

Educational Experience:
Participants will learn about the planning and implementation of electronic referrals with large provider practices.

Benefits:
The presentation will provide insight intostrategies for implementing e-referrals for their state Quitline.