White Paper: E-Prescription's Value

White Paper

MedAbiliti Software Incorporated

The Problem With Prescription Errors

An Arkansas Supreme Court jury awarded $1.27 million to a woman whose husband died after a Wal-Mart pharmacist gave him the wrong prescription medication, according to an Associated Press report. John Tucker died in 1997 after a De Queen, Ark. pharmacist filled his prescription with the high blood-pressure medication, Ziac, instead of the diuretic, Zaroxolyn. Tucker took Ziac for two and a half months, which led him to gain a severe amount of weight and caused fluid to accumulate in his body. A doctor testified on trial that the prescription mistake contributed to Tucker's dying of congestive heart failure.

Prescription medication errors have triggered far too many tragedies like that of Tucker. He represents a devastating number of prescription error victims in the United States and throughout the world. "There are a reported 7,000 deaths per year attributed to medication errors, and each year there are more than 150 million calls from pharmacies to physicians to discuss prescription problems," Donna Whiteford, vice president, Health Businesses, Medco Health, said in a Medco Health press release. The press release also highlighted a survey involving 250 Cleveland physicians who only reaffirm the fact that the current paper prescription writing process is largely responsible for extensive complications within the health care system.

The E-Prescription Solution

The troubled health care industry, in which $77 billion is spent annually on hospitalizations due to medication errors, could be greatly improved by an electronic prescribing (e-prescribing) technology that an Electronic Medical Record system encompasses. Whiteford maintained: "Electronic prescription writing technology alleviates [health care] burdens and results in a more productive work day for pharmacists and physicians, and improved health care for patients."

The process of e-prescribing is quite simple. "To e-prescribe, a physician brings a handheld device into the examining room. The physician opens the patient's electronic record, stored in the device, selects a condition or medication, checks for drug interactions or allergies, confirms the medication is included on the patient's health plan formulary, enters dosage information, and sends the prescription via fax or electronically to the pharmacy of the patient's choice. The whole process takes no more time than writing a conventional prescription - with additional safeguards built in."

A large percentage of the Cleveland physicians surveyed agreed it is an effective way to help eliminate the problems associated with: medication errors, illegible handwriting, formulary compliance and drug interactions. In the survey, 63 percent of the physicians ranked reduced medication errors as the most important attribute of e-prescribing and 55 percent felt that e-prescribing technology could be more time efficient for their practice and their patients. 21 percent of the physicians said that half of all prescriptions will be written using e-prescribing technology within the next two years.

The utilization of the technology encompassed by an Electronic Medical Record system is still low, though cases like that of John Tucker are inciting more rapid transformations. While the Cleveland survey showed only 4 percent of its respondents to be using the technology, it also highlighted the enthusiasm that physicians feel towards taking this vital step in health care. If we cannot repair damages of the past, we can certainly embrace the new systems at our hands and ensure a better future.

How MedAbiliti Can Help

MedAbiliti has experience creating Distributed Medical Record (DMR) technology. Our DMR Framework, of which one piece can be an e-prescribing solution, can fit around your existing Electronic Medical systems and create a complete solution that does not require throwing away your earlier investments in time, training, and money.

The MedAbiliti DMR is founded on the concept of a virtual central data mode that authorized users (caregivers, health care payers, and patients) may reference to search relevant patient data residing in multiple data storage sites. This virtual data model is composed of a network of independent and interoperable applications and databases that capture, analyze, and store specific personal health data. The MedAbiliti DMR approach utilizes the power of the internet to network and extract information from various data storage sites housed in physician offices, hospitals, and insurance data centers to temporarily create a virtual patient medical record for usage by care givers and patients alike.

MedAbiliti DMR is XML-enabled technology that integrates existing, diverse repositories of medical data with privacy and security controls that can be customized by the provider or patient. With MedAbiliti DMR, an organization can unify its existing medical data into the realization of an Electronic Medical Record that can be delivered on the Web in a secure fashion.

MedAbiliti DMR integrates numerous patient record application components (Billing, Charting, Patient Intake, General Practice Administration, Specialized Patient Management, Trending Analytics, Statistical Research, Imaging, Medical Hardware Connectivity) that compile health data into digital records that detail the comprehensive medical history of individual patients. DMR works by integrating diverse databases and stores of medical data. Since it is created as an XML standard, it establishes an open framework. Because it has privacy and security features, the framework is HIPAA compliant. Since the focus is on integration rather than a new application, our clients save money on their prior IT investments.

MedAbiliti's universally applicable digital medical record (DMR) integrates data within the currently disparate system architectures utilized within the health care industry, providing patients with a fully portable medical record. The DMR promises to revolutionize the way in which medical records are created and managed. Diverging from conventional electronic medical record applications on the market, MedAbiliti has taken a unique approach to its DMR that involves an intense level of communication between government officials, insurers, providers and patient advocates in the industry. We have considered and overcome weaknesses and limitations that have hindered past applications. In addition, MedAbiliti has created technical solutions essential to making DMR an integrative, cost-saving, security conscious application.

Please contact us at info@medabiliti.com for more information.

Copyright 2003