HHS Accelerates Use of E-prescribing and Electronic Health Records

Major Step Forward in Transforming American Healthcare To Improve Quality and Safety

New regulations that support adoption of e-prescribing and electronic health records were announced today by HHS Secretary Mike Leavitt. These proposals will speed adoption of health information technologies by hospitals, physicians, and other health care providers to improve quality and safety for Medicare beneficiaries and all Americans. Taken together, they represent a major step forward in meeting President Bush’s goal of widespread adoption of electronic health records.

Electronic prescribing enables a physician to transmit a prescription electronically to a patient’s pharmacy of choice. It decreases prescription errors caused by hard-to-read handwriting and automates the process of checking for drug interactions and allergies. Not only is this easier than paper prescriptions, but it also can improve patient safety and increase efficiency.

“Computer-assisted prescriptions have been shown to cut errors by 70% over handwritten prescriptions,” Secretary Leavitt remarked as he talked with doctors, health care technicians and patients at George Washington University Medical Center. “We want to make medical clipboards and prescription pads a thing of the past.” ...

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U.S. Department of Health & Human Services

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