(P185) IMPROVING THE DISCUSSION OF EPT IN A SEXUAL HEALTH CLINIC

Background:
Expedited partner therapy (EPT) is an important yet underused tool for STI prevention. NYC PTC initiated a QI project with the aim of 1) providing information about EPT to 80% of patients testing positive for gonorrhea (GC) and/or chlamydia (CT); 2) standardize the sharing of EPT information; 3) improve process documentation.

Methods:
We initiated this QI project at a large (~2900 patients annually) urban, academic sexual health clinic in NYC. The clinic utilized QI tools, such as Plan-Do-Study-Act cycles, to implement and assess changes. The clinic chose to standardize the delivery of EPT information via a provider template in the electronic medical record. One provider, clinic champion, developed and pilot tested the note content and process; the content was then refined through discussions with multidisciplinary clinic personnel. The note and process were shared with clinic providers via one-on-one discussions. A retrospective chart review was performed to assess documented EPT discussions among patients testing positive for GC/CT in the 2 months pre-intervention and for the month of intervention.

Results:
In the pre-intervention cohort, N=476 patients were seen at the clinic; 21.4% of patients tested were diagnosed with GC/CT and 33% had a documented EPT discussion. N=313 patients were seen in clinic in the post-intervention cohort; 16.5% of patients tested were diagnosed with GC/CT and 48% had a documented EPT discussion. Data will continue to be evaluated as more providers are trained.

Conclusion:
Implementation of a standardized provider template resulted in an increase in EPT documentation, though more work is needed. Providing information on EPT is a straightforward way to address community burden of STIs. While the clinic chose one option to improve discussion of EPT, others exist, such as documenting EPT offer while providing empiric treatment. This replicable process should be used in other clinics to ensure EPT information is consistently disseminated to patients.