E-Prescribing collaboration in Massachusetts: early experiences from regional prescribing projects.
Massachusetts payers and providers have encouraged clinician usage of e-Prescribing technology to improve patient safety, enhance office practice efficiencies, and reduce medical costs. This report describes three early pilot e-Prescribing projects as case studies. These projects identified the e-Prescribing needs of clinicians, illustrated key issues that made implementation difficult, and clarified the impact of various types of functionality. The authors identified ten key barriers: (1) previous negative technology experiences, (2) initial and long-term cost, (3) lost productivity, (4) competing priorities, (5) change management issues, (6) interoperability limitations, (7) information technology (IT) requirements, (8) standards limitations, (9) waiting for an "all-in-one solution," and (10) confusion about competing product offerings including hospital/Integrated Delivery System (IDN)-sponsored projects. In Massachusetts, regional projects have helped to address these barriers, and e-Prescribing activities are accelerating rapidly within the state.
Halamka
John
J
CareGroup Healthcare System and Harvard Medical School, 1135 Tremont Street, 6th Floor, Boston, MA 02215, USA. jhalamka@caregroup.harvard.edu
Aranow
Meg
M
Ascenzo
Carl
C
Bates
David W
DW
Berry
Kate
K
Debor
Greg
G
Fefferman
Jessica
J
Glaser
John
J
Heinold
Jerilyn
J
Stanley
John
J
Stone
Diane L
DL
Sullivan
Thomas E
TE
Tripathi
Micky
M
Wilkinson
Bruce
B
D011307:Drug Prescriptions / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006284:Health Plan Implementation; D006801:Humans; D008404:Massachusetts; D050316:Medical Order Entry Systems / Q000191:economics / Q000458:organization & administration; D016347:Medical Records Systems, Computerized; D010865:Pilot Projects; D012041:Regional Medical Programs; D012955:Societies, Medical; D012984:Software; D013221:State Health Plans; D014481:United States