title: Quality assessment of information about medications in primary care electronic patient record (EPR) systems.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Many different brands of primary care electronic patient record (EPR) software are available to general practitioners (GPs). Their ability to support GPs in improving prescribing varies greatly.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To assess, using a ten-item tool, the quality of drug information provided by EPR software to support the appropriateness of prescriptions and to propose a list of quality standards for this type of application.
  
  
  METHODS
  The eight EPR programmes most used in general practice in Italy were assessed by a multidisciplinary team using the ten-item tool. The tool evaluated information on single drugs and drug safety and information on prescription rules in force.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Out of eight EPR programmes assessed, none scored more than 55% of the maximum possible score. Two achieved scores higher than 50%, one scored 48%, four ranged from 32% to 39% and one obtained 22%. Information on drug safety, such as the ability to detect interactions, to monitor laboratory parameters or to get updated information on drug safety was particularly limited. None of the eight EPR programmes contained drug information for patients, but two of them contained drug advertising.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This project highlighted the poor quality of drug information provided by these EPR programmes. The ten-item tool seems suitable for assessing their quality. Based on this analysis, we have proposed a set of ten quality standards for prescribing software.
authors.affiliation: Pharmaceutical Department, Verona Local Health Authority, Verona, Italy. maria.font@ulss20.verona.it
authors.forename: Maria Font
authors.initials: MF
authors.lastname: Pous
authors.forename: Marco
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Camporese
authors.forename: Alessandro
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Nobili
authors.forename: Serena
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Frau
authors.forename: Francesco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Del Zotti
authors.forename: Anita
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Conforti
authors.forename: Roberta
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Zimol
authors.forename: Gudio
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Giustetto
authors.forename: Giulia
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Zermiani
authors.forename: Giuseppe
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Lombardo
authors.forename: Luigi
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Mezzalira
mesh_terms: D006801:Humans; D007256:Information Systems / Q000592:standards*; D016347:Medical Records Systems, Computerized / Q000458:organization & administration* / Q000592:standards; D055553:Prescription Drugs; D011320:Primary Health Care / Q000458:organization & administration*; D011787:Quality of Health Care / Q000458:organization & administration* / Q000592:standards
chemical_list: D055553:Prescription Drugs