Use of electronic health records to manage tobacco screening and treatment in rural primary care

Purpose Electronic health records (EHRs) can facilitate primary care providers’ (PCPs) use of best practices in addressing tobacco dependence. It is unknown whether rural PCPs reap the same benefits as their urban counterparts when employing EHRs for this purpose. Our study examines this issue. Methods This cross‐sectional investigation based on the 2012–2015 National Ambulatory Medical Care Survey used chi‐square tests and adjusted logistic regression models to explore how rurality and use of tobacco‐related EHR functions were related to smoking status documentation (SSD) and cessation treatment at adult primary care visits. Findings SSD rates were similar in visits to rural‐ and urban‐based PCPs (88.2% rural‐based vs 81.1% urban‐based, P = .5819). Use of EHRs for SSD was associated with higher SSD odds at visits to both rural‐ and urban‐based PCPs, but this increase was greater for visits to rural‐based PCPs (428% vs 220% urban‐based, P = .0443). Rates of cessation treatment at smokers’ visits were low in rural and urban contexts (19.3% rural vs 19.6% urban, P = .9430). Odds of cessation treatment were 68% higher where EHRs were used to remind PCPs of treatment guidelines (P = .001), with no rural‐urban difference in the size of the increase. Access to EHRs with tobacco‐related functions was similar across rural and urban practices. Conclusions Rural‐based PCPs were at least as successful as urban‐based PCPs in leveraging EHRs to enhance tobacco‐related services. Even where EHRs are used, opportunities exist to expand cessation treatment in rural primary care.