Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2012 Jun;102 Suppl 3(Suppl 3):S342-52.
doi: 10.2105/AJPH.2011.300622.

Public health detailing of primary care providers: New York City's experience, 2003-2010

Michelle G Dresser  1 , Leslie Short, Laura Wedemeyer, Victoria Lowerson Bredow, Rachel Sacks, Kelly Larson, Joslyn Levy, Lynn D Silver
Affiliations

Public health detailing of primary care providers: New York City's experience, 2003-2010

Michelle G Dresser et al. Am J Public Health. 2012 Jun.

Abstract

Objectives: We evaluated the effectiveness of the Public Health Detailing Program in helping primary care providers and their staff to improve patient care on public health challenges.

Methods: We analyzed reported changes in clinical practice or behavior by examining providers' retention and implementation of recommendations for campaigns.

Results: During each campaign, 170 to 443 providers and 136 to 221 sites were reached. Among assessed providers who indicated changes in their practice behavior, the following statistically significant increases occurred from baseline to follow-up. Reported screening for clinical preventive services increased, including routinely screening for intimate partner violence (14%-42%). Clinical management increased, such as prescribing longer-lasting supplies of medicine (29%-42%). Lifestyle modification and behavior change, such as recommending increased physical activity to patients with high cholesterol levels, rose from 52% to 73%. Self-management goal setting with patients increased, such as using a clinical checkbook to track hemoglobin A1c goals (28% to 43%).

Conclusions: Data suggest that public health detailing can be effective for linking public health agencies and their recommendations to providers and influencing reported changes in clinical practice behavior.

PubMed Disclaimer

Figures

FIGURE 1—
FIGURE 1—
New York City Public Health Detailing Program Medication Adherence Action Kit cover.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

    1. Wagner EH, Austin BT, Von Korff M. Improving outcomes in chronic illness. Manag Care Q. 1996;4(2):12–25 - PubMed
    1. Larson K, Levy J, Rome MG, Matte TD, Silver LD, Frieden TR. Public health detailing: a strategy to improve the delivery of clinical preventive services in New York City. Public Health Rep. 2006;121(3):228–234 - PMC - PubMed
    1. Soumerai SB, Avorn J. Principles of educational outreach (‘academic detailing’) to improve clinical decision making. JAMA. 1990;263(4):549–556 - PubMed
    1. Shojania KG, Ranji SR, McDonald KMet al.Effects of quality improvement strategies for type 2 diabetes on glycemic control: a meta-regression analysis. JAMA. 2006;296(4):427–440 - PubMed
    1. New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene Community Health Profiles. 2006. Available at: http://www.nyc.gov/html/doh/html/data/data.shtml. Accessed March 7, 2012

LinkOut - more resources