Study: Docs have trouble with e-prescribing

E-prescribing is all the rage in government circles, with state governors, in particular, waxing rhapsodic over its benefits. But it seems that physicians aren't as comfortable with the concept as policymakers are. A new study published in Health Affairs has found that physicians who adopt e-prescribing technology have trouble with its advanced features, and what's more, aren't even sure that it's worth figuring out how to use them. Researchers at the Center for Studying Health System Change interviewed contacts within 26 organizations, including some which used e-prescribing, some which didn't, health plans, e-prescribing technology vendors and pharmacies. They found that while physicians liked basic e-prescribing approaches, they weren't that comfortable with advanced features like clinical decision support tools, patient-specific formularies and patient medication lists. Not only that, physicians said they were having trouble getting local pharmacies on board for two-way electronic interchange, another cutting-edge feature pushed by advocates of the technology.

To learn more about the study:
- read this Healthcare IT News item
- check out the Center for Studying Health System Change press release

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