Evaluation of AHRQ- and CMS-Funded E-Prescribing Pilot Projects

In 2005, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) awarded grants to five pilot sites to test electronic prescribing (e-prescribing) standards. The testing focused on the interoperability of these standards with one another, their ability to deliver messages accurately and unambiguously, and their downstream effect on healthcare outcomes such as medical errors and clinical efficiency. The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) National Resource Center for Health IT (NRC) was then charged with compiling an evaluation report which summarizes and synthesizes findings across the pilot projects with the goal of advising the Federal Government on standards adoption and disseminating key data on e-prescribing outcomes amongthe policy community.

The inability for multiple systems to share information with a standard format and vocabulary has been a hurdle to effective implementation of e-prescribing. To address this situation, the Medicare Modernization Act of 2003 (MMA) directed the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to establish Federal standards that all e-prescribers must follow for patients enrolled in Part D.

When HHS promulgated rules proposing standards for electronic prescribing, the rules identified three well-accepted standards ready ("foundation" standards) for immediate implementation, and several other areas in which standards are needed. In these areas, HHS proposed six "initial" standards for pilot testing.

The five pilot sites are among the leading experts in the field of e-prescribing: RAND, Ohio KePRO/UHMP, Brigham and Women's Hospital, SureScripts, and Achieve Healthcare. A summary of their results as well as additional analyses and recommendations is included in the following reports.

CMS Report to Congress

As required by the Medicare Modernization Act of 2003 (MMA), the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) produced a summary report for the United States Congress that highlights the key outcomes of the pilot testing collaboration project with AHRQ.

Pilot Testing of Initial Electronic Prescribing Standards Report (PDF, 236 KB, Text Version*) PDF Help. 

AHRQ Evaluation Report

The NRC was charged with compiling an evaluation report to summarize and synthesize findings across the pilot projects with the goals of advising the Federal Government on standards adoption and disseminating key data on e-prescribing outcomes among the policy community.

Findings from the Evaluation of E-Prescribing Pilot Sites Report (PDF, 2.12 MB, Text Version*) PDF Help.

Individual Pilot Project Reports

Also available are individual reports from each e-prescribing pilot project. Each report describes the results of rigorous standards testing performed by one of the pilot sites. In addition, each report includes results of the pilot project's study of key issues in e-prescribing, such as reduction of adverse drug events, provider uptake (adoption), and potential gains in efficiency and effectiveness.

You may view or download the PDF File format by selecting that file. For information on accessing PDF Files, please read the PDF Help instructions.

• Achieve Healthcare Technologies Report (PDF, 508 KB)
• Brigham and Women's Hospital Report (PDF, 149 KB)
• Ohio KePRO/UHMP Report (PDF, 1.01 MB)
• RAND Corporation Report (PDF, 176 KB)
• SureScripts Report (PDF, 169 KB)

*This version of the report is formatted for compliance with Section 508 of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).

Last Modified: April 2011