Health information technology and physicians' knowledge of drug costs.
OBJECTIVE
To examine whether physicians' use of information technology (IT) was associated with better knowledge of drug costs.


METHODS
A 2007 statewide survey of 247 primary care physicians in Hawaii regarding IT use and self-reported knowledge of formularies, copayments, and retail prices.


RESULTS
Approximately 8 in 10 physicians regularly used IT in clinical care: 60% Internet, 54% e-prescribing, 43% electronic health records (EHRs), and 37% personal digital assistants (PDAs). However, fewer than 1 in 5 often knew drug costs when prescribing, and more than 90% said lack of knowledge of formularies and copayments remained a barrier to considering drug costs for patients. In multivariate analyses adjusting for sex, practice size, years in practice, number of formularies, and use of clinical resources (eg, pharmacists), use of the Internet -- but not e-prescribing, EHRs, or PDAs -- was associated with physicians reporting slightly better knowledge of copayments (adjusted predicted percentage of 23% vs 11%; P = .04). No type of IT was associated with better knowledge of formularies or retail prices.


CONCLUSIONS
Despite high rates of IT use, there was only a modest association between physicians' use of IT and better knowledge of drug costs. Future investments in health IT should consider how IT design can be improved to make it easier for physicians to access cost information at the point of care.
Tseng
Chien-Wen
CW
Department of Family Medicine and Community Health, University of Hawaii, Honolulu, 96789, USA. cwtseng@hawaii.edu
Brook
Robert H
RH
Alexander
G Caleb
GC
Hixon
Allen L
AL
Keeler
Emmett B
EB
Mangione
Carol M
CM
Chen
Randi
R
Jackson
Eric A
EA
Dudley
R Adams
RA
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D016527:Drug Costs; D004346:Drug Information Services / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011307:Drug Prescriptions / Q000191:economics*; D005260:Female; D006254:Hawaii; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010821:Physicians, Family; D010818:Practice Patterns, Physicians' / Q000191:economics*; D011306:Prescription Fees; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires