Electronic prescribing systems boost efficiency, may lead to improved quality of care

New research published in the May issue of the Journal of the American College of Surgeons indicates that the adoption of electronic prescribing systems may allow for greater efficiency at hospitals, which could result in long-term cost savings and improved quality of care. In an attempt to reduce or eliminate potentially harmful medication errors, the Institute of Medicine has called for the use of electronic prescribing systems in all health care organizations by 2010. Mixed results have been reported about the benefits of these systems for patients, but experts believe that additional software enhancements and more user-friendly platforms will prompt more hospitals to adopt electronic prescribing systems.

“Although we found that the implementation of an electronic prescribing system at our institution had no substantial impact on the rate of medication errors, we did see considerable gains in efficiency for the ordering process,” said William M. Stone, MD, FACS, of Mayo Clinic Arizona.

“Patient safety is not simply reducing the number of medication errors. The use of this system makes obtaining treatment more efficient, could significantly lower health care costs and may also improve patient outcomes. Further study will show if these are additional benefits.” More Here http://ping.fm/RI6j5