Determinants of physician use of an ambulatory prescription expert system
Journal
Int J Med Inform
Publication Date
2005 Sep
Volume
74
Issue
9
Pages
711-7
Summary:
- HIT Description: Decision support, Electronic prescribing More info...
- Purpose of Study: To determine whether MD experience with and attitude towards computers is associated with adoption of ambulatory prescription writing system
- Years of study: 2003-2004
- Study Design: Cross-sectional
- Outcomes: Impact on patient satisfaction, impact on efficiency, utilization, and costs
- Settings: Academic internal medicine residency training clinic serving a predominantly indigent population in central Virginia.
- Intervention: Installation of an electronic prescription writing system
- Evaluation Method: Attitude and behavior survey conducted six months after implementation. In addition, system use was tracked.
- Description: Commercially available prescription expert system called Practice Partner version 7.5 enabled electronic maintenance of a medication list, printing and renewing prescriptions, and checking of drug-drug and drug-allergy interactions.
- Strategy: use was encouraged but not mandated
- System Penetration: 72% of MDs reported predominant usage (>=50% of prescriptions). Self-reported and measure technology use were highly correlated.
- Barriers: Electronic prescribing was more time consuming. Some felt their patients preferred hand-written prescriptions.
- Quality of Care and Patient Safety Outcome: On a 5-point scale, the system's effect on quality was rated 4.6 by MD users.
- Changes in efficiency and productivity: 57% felt that the system took more time than writing prescriptions by hand. However, 88% felt that the system would take less time after the patient medication lists were entered in the near future.