Research and Projects: AHRQ THQIT and SRD Portfolio

Wisconsin

Planning for a Rural Prescription Medication Network

Description:  Develops a shared electronic repository for patient-level prescription medication data that enables real-time access for patients receiving healthcare services and plans a model system design to electronically link prescription medication data across hospitals and physician practices.

Abstract:  DESCRIPTION (provided by the applicant): We propose a planning grant whose ultimate objective is the development of an actionable, practical plan for implementing a rural regional prescription medication network. The Wisconsin Rural Prescription Medication Network (WIRuralRx) partnership consists of three separate healthcare organizations--St Joseph Hospital (lead partner), Marshfield Clinic, and Wausau Family Practice. These healthcare provider organizations have come together in this planning effort because they share a vision of a safer, more effective, and more efficient healthcare system in rural America and believe that innovative health information technology (HIT) applications can help them and other committed healthcare organizations realize that vision. This planning effort will focus on development of a shared electronic repository for patient-level prescription medication data that enables real-time access for any patient receiving healthcare services at any one of the partnering institutions, which include both hospital and ambulatory care partners. The long-term goal of this initiative is to be well positioned to implement a prototype, model system that will be scalable, portable, efficient, and effective so that new partners can link into the system and realize its inherent advantages for improved quality of care and patient safety. Specific aims for this planning effort include: 1. Develop actionable plans for a model system design that would electronically link prescription medication data across a hospital, a regional multi-specialty physician group practice, and a local family practice, spanning their diverse patient record systems. 2. Identify and solve organizational, operational, legal/regulatory, financial, and technical problems that present barriers to the development of the proposed model system. 3. Document the planning and development process so that lessons learned can be shared with others interested in similar HIT innovations.

Year 1 Funding:  $167,781

Estimated Total Funding:  $167,781

Principal Investigator:  Robert Gribble

Applicant Institution:  St. Joseph's Hospital

City/Town:  Marshfield, Wisconsin

State:  Wisconsin

Grant Number:  P20 HS15327

Category:  Planning Grants (THQIT)

Thesaurus Terms:  automated medical record system, chemotherapy, computer assisted patient care, computer system design /evaluation, health care quality, health care service organization, patient care management, patient safety /medical error, pharmacology, rural health, cooperative study, data management, drug adverse effect, medically underserved population, behavioral /social science research tag, clinical research, health services research tag, human data, patient oriented research

Project Start Date:  Sep 30, 2004

Project End Date:  Sep 29, 2005