June 2019 - Parks & Recreation - 26

MEMBER TO MEMBER

For more information

on how to establish this referral pathway, download the recently
developed toolkit, Increasing Referrals to Community-Based Programs and Services: Use of an Electronic Health Record (EHR) Referral Process (www.
nrpa.org/our-work/partnerships/initiatives/healthyaging-in-parks/health-systems-and-parks-and-rec
reation/), which outlines the EHR referral pathway
described, as well as tips and recommendations for
implementing and sustaining the pathway.

tend to continue the partnership by
replicating this model in the city's
other 43 recreation centers, thereby
making them additional community wellness hubs.
Referral Pathways
The implementation of effective
referral pathways is another way in
which park and recreation agencies
are partnering with health systems.
In 2018, with support from the
Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention, NRPA collaborated

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Parks & Recreation

with the following organizations to
pilot the effectiveness and scalability of a referral process through the
use of an electronic health record
(EHR): Shreveport Public Assembly and Recreation and Ochsner
LSU Health Shreveport (previously
University Health) in Shreveport,
Louisiana; the City of Westminster
Parks and Recreation; Westminster
Medical Clinic; St. Anthony North
Family Medicine; and Arbor Family Medicine in Westminster, Colorado.
This referral process aimed to
identify patients with arthritis and
refer them to arthritis-appropriate, evidence-based interventions
(AAEBIs) offered by park and recreation agencies. Within this process, the healthcare partners used
their EHRs to identify patients in
two ways: retrospectively and at
the point of care. The retrospective
referral process involved patient
identification based on:

42

PERCENT

PERCENT

of local park and
recreation agencies
are partnering
with hospitals and
independent medical
practices

are partnering
with local health
departments

| J U N E 2 0 1 9 | W W W. PA R K S A N D R E C R E AT I O N . O R G

* Age (45 years and older, since
the majority of people with arthritis are older than 45)
* Time frame (patients seen within
the past 18 months)
* ZIP code (patients living within
a ZIP code served by parks and
recreation)
* Arthritis diagnosis (primarily
osteoarthritis, gout and rheumatoid arthritis)
Once identified, patients were
sent communication packages, including a personalized letter from
the referring healthcare partner,
detailing the purpose of the letter
and encouraging them to enroll in
one or more of the AAEBIs. They
also received a phone call from the
healthcare partner's staff within
one to two weeks of the mailings.
During the point-of-care referrals,
the same criteria were used with the
exception of the time frame, which
was updated to include patients
with an appointment the following

41

39

PERCENT

PERCENT

are partnering with
health insurance
companies and

are partnering with
health plan-affiliated
fitness membership
programs, such as
SilverSneakers® and
Silver&Fit®.
June 2019 - Parks & Recreation

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of June 2019 - Parks & Recreation
