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The Signature Health Service Research Project expands on the success of our TRDRP Community Practice-Based Research 2-year Planning Award with Los Angeles County Department of Health Services (LA DHS), the nation’s second largest public health system. With our TRDRP Planning Award, we incorporated the California Smokers’ Helpline (Helpline) as a specialist into the LA DHS eConsult system, a web-based portal for provider communication between primary care providers and a specialist. Currently there are over 4000 primary care providers participating in LA DHS eConsult (68 LA DHS eConsult specialties) with 19 LA DHS clinic sites and 215 Community Clinic Partner sites, the latter which serve LA DHS’ My Health LA patients; over 700,000 LA DHS eConsult requests were received by end of 2017. The LA DHS eConsult referral to the Helpline went live in 2016 with over 670 referrals to date. With this Implementation Award, we will expand and evaluate the implementation of LA DHS eConsult referrals to the Helpline by 1) improving patient contact rates with Helpline messages back to the referring provider, 2) providing clinic training about the Helpline and a patient-oriented action workflow, and 3) integrating pharmacy services.
Over three years, this study will expand the utilization of LA DHS eConsult referrals to the Helpline and measure patient reach and effectiveness, and provider adoption, implementation, and maintenance. The long-term objective is to demonstrate a sustainable and scalable model that leverages communication channels between patient, provider, plan, and the Helpline for implementing a more integrated, population-based tobacco cessation treatment service. The significance of this research is that the LA DHS eConsult system is an innovative workforce tool that can enable health systems change and coordination for evidence-based tobacco cessation treatment beyond traditional service delivery models. The members of our established Consortium between UC Davis, LA DHS, and the Helpline will continue to collaborate for expanding and evaluating the LA DHS eConsult system, in conjunction with our Consumer Advisory Board. Our two related Pilots will help build the capacity for expanded Community Partner Clinics and data sharing for sustaining future collaborations. |
