Objective  To explore the development and preliminary application of an electronic prescription on health education for outpatients.

  Methods  We carried out a panel study in a tertiary hospital in Beijing from December 2019 through August 2010. First, we compiled electronic disease-specific health education prescriptions and implanted those prescriptions into an outpatient medical record system of the hospital. Then, we conducted questionnaire surveys among 1 163 outpatients as the control group before the implantation of the prescriptions and 1 096 outpatients as the observation group after the implantation of the prescriptions.

  Results  The proportions of the outpatients acquiring health education via face-to-face communication and written materials were significantly high in observation group than in control group (both P < 0.01). Compared to those of control group, the outpatients of observation group reported significantly higher ratios of receiving specific guidance other than medication on daily diet, life style, mental health, cognition of pathogenic mechanism, and general health (all P < 0.01). Significantly higher proportions of the outpatients of observation group than those of the control group reported practicing health behaviors including smoking cessation, reducing salt use, limiting oil consumption, oral health promotion, mental health promotion, reasonable medication, and disease self-management (P < 0.01 for all). Significantly higher access of health education information and increase in health literacy were reported by the outpatients of observation group in comparison to those of control group (both P < 0.01).

  Conclusion  The medical record system-based electric health education prescription is effective in promotion of health attitude and behavior and disease self- management among clinic outpatients.