Recommendations for a Clinical Decision Support System for Work-Related Asthma in Primary Care Settings.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to describe a recommended clinical decision support (CDS) approach for work-related asthma for incorporation in electronic health records (EHRs) for primary care health care providers.

METHODS: Subject matter experts convened by the American Thoracic Society reviewed available guidelines and published literature to develop specific recommendations.

RESULTS: It is important to recognize possible work-related asthma among persons with new-onset or worsening asthma. The work group recommends incorporating three simple questions about temporal relations between asthma symptoms and work in EHR systems and identified specific clinical conditions to trigger this intervention. Patients with positive responses to the three questions should have the asthma diagnosis documented and have further evaluation, education, and possible referral.

CONCLUSION: An effective CDS system for improving recognition of work-related asthma may help reduce morbidity and mortality of asthma in adults.