Integration of Substance Use Screening Into the Electronic Health Record for Adolescent Trauma Patients: A Quality Improvement Project

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Adolescent substance abuse is a well-acknowledged and increasing concern. Screening brief intervention and referral to treatment for alcohol and drug use in adolescent trauma is a requirement, but program implementation remains a challenge for many trauma centers. OBJECTIVE: This study aims to examine the effect of an integrated electronic health record screening tool and staff training on screening, brief intervention, and referral to treatment compliance in adolescent trauma. METHODS: This is a single-center, pre- and postintervention study of substance use screening compliance in adolescent trauma patients (age 12–21) conducted at a Level I pediatric trauma center in the Southeastern United States following the integration of the CRAFFT substance abuse screening tool into the electronic health record. The study compared 12 months of preintervention data (January 2021 through January 2022) to 15 months of postintervention data (February 2022 through May 2023). RESULTS: A total of N = 241 patients met inclusion criteria, of which most were male, n = 168 (69.7%), White n = 185 (76.8%), and Hispanic n = 179 (74.3%). Screening compliance increased from preintervention 81% to postintervention 92%. CONCLUSION: Our study demonstrates that integrating a digital screening tool into the electronic health record resulted in an average increased screening compliance of 11%.