Gesteland, Per

Institution: University of Utah
Grant Title: Using Health Information Technology to Support Population-Based Clinical Practice
Grant Number: K08 HS018538
Duration: 5 years (2009-2014)
Total Award: $795,000

Project Description: This research has four main aims:

1. Assess primary care clinician use of current population-based acute respiration infections (ARI) health information resources and decision support tools using focus groups and structured observation.
2. Refine population-based ARI health information resources and decision support tools to improve clinical information system workflow integration and patient communication.
3. Implement these population-based ARI health information resources and decision support tools in primary and urgent care settings.
4. Measure the effects of population-based ARI health information resources and decision support tools on population-based clinical practice and patient/parent compliance.

Career Goals: Dr. Gesteland is an Assistant Professor in the Division of Inpatient Medicine, Primary Children's Medical Center, Department of Pediatrics at the University of Utah School of Medicine in Salt Lake City. He received his MD from the University of Utah and did a combined residency in Internal Medicine and Pediatrics at the University of Minnesota. He later earned his Masters in Medical Informatics at Utah. Dr. Gesteland's career goal is to become an independent physician scientist who will use information technology and clinical information systems to study and optimize the management of common diseases that affect the health of adults and children.

Progress to Date: The grantee was able to use, improve, and study the system he developed, Germ Watch, during the H1N1 pandemic. The system provided clinicians with timely, population-level data about respiratory pathogens and played a key role in Utah's response.

Future Plans: Dr. Gesteland will conduct semi-structured interviews/contextual interviews with providers. A plan will be developed for implementing specific refinements and enhancements discovered through work on Aim #1.

Highlights and Specific Accomplishments:

• Pediatric Clinical and Translational Research Scholar, University of Utah.

K-Generated Publications: None thus far.

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