Optimizing laboratory medication safety monitoring in patients with juvenile idiopathic arthritis to advance value-based care.

Abstract

Introduction/objectives: Most children with juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) are treated with medications that require safety monitoring labs. Recommended testing includes a creatinine level. However, 87.5% of our visits had a basic metabolic panel (BMP) done. The difference in charges for ordering a serum creatinine versus a BMP is $31, and the difference in matched net revenue per unit is $12.09. Our aim was to increase the ordering of a creatinine rather than a BMP in patients with non-systemic JIA needing methotrexate, leflunomide, and/or biologic medication safety lab monitoring in the Rheumatology Clinic from 12.5 to 80% in 8 months.

Method: We utilized quality improvement tools, incorporated this project in our pre-visit planning process, provided physician education, and made updates to our electronic medical record (EMR) order sets. We tracked the percent of patients with JIA taking the pertinent medications who had a creatinine checked rather than a BMP on a run chart to review performance over time.

Results: Our baseline median was 12.5% of visits having a creatinine alone checked instead of a BMP (Fig. 1). We had two shifts in our data with a final center line of 99%. There were no unintended consequences noted during our project.

Conclusions: Our project optimized medication safety monitoring in patients with JIA by eliminating unnecessary tests to save costs and advance value-based care. Our interventions of education and EMR modifications allowed for standardization of laboratory test ordering. We plan to expand this project to other medications and other diseases to further decrease costs without sacrificing patient safety. Key Points • Most of our patients with JIA that require medication safety monitoring had a basic metabolic panel obtained rather than the recommended serum creatinine. • We significantly increased ordering of a clinically recommended and more cost-effective serum creatinine alone for screening of renal function through quality improvement methodology, physician education, pre-visit planning, and electronic medical record modifications.