Connect Care’s Best Practice Advisory for Syphilis

Publication Summary

Infectious syphilis has risen significantly in Alberta from a rate of 3.9 per 100,000 population in 2014, to 72.2 per 100,000 in 2021 (1). As a result of this increase, nearly 200 infants were diagnosed with congenital syphilis between 2016 and 2021, including 39 stillbirths (1).

In an effort to address the syphilis outbreak, Alberta Health Services (AHS) implemented a Best Practice Advisory within their clinical information system, Connect Care, to screen pregnant women presenting to emergency departments with no prior prenatal syphilis screening.

In this case study, we describe the process and planning done by AHS STI Services to create an outbreak strategy using a Best Practice Advisory. The BPA is an example of a promising practice for syphilis testing alerts that can be adapted in other parts of the country.