Bayer and Geisinger are partnering to create a contraception counseling pathway integrated within Geisinger’s Epic Electronic Health Record (EHR) to standardize the delivery of comprehensive contraceptive care and reducing unintended pregnancies. Many women may not realize that birth control options have varying efficacy rates and that they should consider speaking with their healthcare provider about different birth control options.
The goal is to optimize care within the Geisinger network and help ensure their patients are actively involved in personal contraception decisions, which can have long-term impact for the woman and her family.
EHR-Driven Contraception Counseling Pathway
Women’s health visits will now accompany a short pre-visit questionnaire developed by Geisinger about reproductive health including any plans to become pregnant. The questionnaire responses will trigger a set of questions in the EHR for the healthcare provider and will result in a more productive, comprehensive discussion about contraceptive options during the woman’s visit.
“This new counseling pathway empowers women to take control of their reproductive life planning decisions – whether to have a baby, when to have a baby, and the timing between babies,” said Yesmean Wahdan, MD, deputy director, Bayer U.S. Medical Affairs, Women’s Healthcare. “There’s a lot that needs to be covered in a woman’s health visit and the counseling pathway ensures that the right conversations are happening at the right time between a woman and her healthcare provider.”