ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVES: To provide a health information technology (HIT) primer for pharmacists, including the current state of HIT, future expectations, basic information and vocabulary, HIT vendors, communication standards, barriers to implementation, and strategies for pharmacists to ensure success. DATA SOURCES: By the authors. SUMMARY: HIT is expected to provide integrated electronic health care with interactive exchange among patients, providers, government agencies, and insurers, resulting in an increase in the overall quality, safety, and efficiency of health care delivery with fewer medical errors, increased administrative efficiency, decreased health care costs, and expanded patient access to affordable health care. Government incentives are in place in an effort to expedite the nationwide implementation of HIT. CONCLUSION: With the government and IT industry applying pressure, HIT is a reality; the only remaining questions are how quickly and how thoroughly HIT will affect the health care system.
Subject(s)
Delivery of Health Care/standards , Information Systems/statistics & numerical data , Pharmaceutical Services/organization & administration , Information Systems/organization & administration , Information Systems/standards , Medical Records Systems, Computerized/organization & administration , Medical Records Systems, Computerized/standards , Medical Records Systems, Computerized/statistics & numerical data , Pharmaceutical Services/standards , Pharmaceutical Services/trends , United StatesSubject(s)
Medical Informatics Applications , Patient Care , Pharmaceutical Services , Program Evaluation/methods , Students, Pharmacy/psychology , Television/statistics & numerical data , American Recovery and Reinvestment Act , Financing, Government/legislation & jurisprudence , Humans , Information Systems , Organizational Innovation , Pharmaceutical Services/legislation & jurisprudence , Pharmacists , Professional Role , Quality Control , Television/trends , United StatesABSTRACT
In January 2006 the federal Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) awarded five pilot grants to study the use of electronic prescribing (ePrescribing) standards-one in a long-term care setting and four in ambulatory care settings. Although forms of ePrescribing have been used in the long-term care environment for many years, this was the first pilot to test the National Council of Prescription Drug Programs (NCPDP) SCRIPT ePrescribing standards. This article describes a summary of the results of that study.
Subject(s)
Long-Term Care , Medical Order Entry Systems/standards , Medication Errors/prevention & control , Quality Assurance, Health Care/methods , Drug Prescriptions , Humans , Pilot ProjectsABSTRACT
Passage of the Medicare Modernization Act has thrust electronic prescribing (e-prescribing) into the forefront of health care technology. Health care providers, payers, and the government are hoping that e-prescribing will improve patient safety, quality of care, and efficiency. However, for long-term care facilities, pharmacies, and prescribers to embrace these changes and incorporate e-prescribing into their every day practices, communication standards will have to be created to facilitate transfer of prescription/order information among all three parties. E-prescribing and electronic health records will be an important element of pharmacy practice that consultant and senior care pharmacists should learn about and prepare for now.
