A brand new transient from the Workplace of the Nationwide Coordinator for Well being Info Expertise information says that one-third of prescribers now entry prescription drug monitoring applications by way of their digital well being information and 62% reported they used digital prescribing of managed substances applied sciences typically – up from 37% in 2019.
WHY IT MATTERS
“The usage of (PDMPs) and digital prescribing of managed substances (EPCS) expertise is important to enhancing opioid prescribing practices, informing remedy selections and supporting secure and efficient affected person care,” wrote Richwine and Everson in a brand new HealthIT weblog submit.
They are saying the new information add to earlier analyses demonstrating the advantages of the techniques by exhibiting better frequency and ease of use amongst physicians with PDMPs built-in into EHRs.
Almost 71% of doctor prescribers used EPCS in 2021 with 62% reporting they used it typically. That is “a big enhance from simply over one-third of prescribers that reported utilizing EPCS ‘typically’ in 2019 (37%),” in line with Richwine and Everson.
PDMP use was regular between 2019 and 2021, with greater than three-quarters (78%) of doctor prescribers indicating they checked their state’s PDMP previous to prescribing managed substances like opioids to a affected person for the primary time.
Nevertheless, one-third of prescribers now entry the PDMP by way of their EHRs, in comparison with one-fifth in 2019.
THE LARGER TREND
Information integration has been one of many challenges to the widespread use of PDMPs and is one purpose they haven’t been seen as efficient as they could possibly be.
With out distinctive affected person identifiers that may tie information throughout a number of pharmacies and a scarcity of entry to information throughout state boundaries, the information acquired a couple of affected person’s ‘in-state’ exercise might solely be an image of among the affected person’s prescriptions.
States additionally fluctuate in how they mandate or advocate that hospitals and medical teams use and contribute information to PDMPs.
Regardless of being data-intensive and including to doctor burdens and imperfect, it has been largely thought to be an vital instrument within the battle to decrease the nation’s drug abuse and opioid overdose statistics.
EPCS, however, has solely been adopted at scale since the federal mandate and up to date and upcoming deadlines, the analysts famous.
“Earlier this yr, an ONC research analyzing the impression of coverage that mandated EPCS use in New York state confirmed that opioid prescribing fell by virtually six share factors following EPCS adoption,” mentioned Richwine and Everson, noting that extra analyses will additional affirm the impression of EPCS on opioid prescribing.
ON THE RECORD
“Whereas the progress in physicians’ use of EPCS and PDMPs is promising, our current analyses underscore vital areas for enchancment,” mentioned Richwine and Everson within the weblog submit.
“Furthermore, it is very important make sure that integration drives worth by embedding information in clinician workflows and powering actionable resolution assist instruments to fight the opioid disaster.”
Andrea Fox is senior editor of Healthcare IT Information.
E mail: afox@himss.org
Healthcare IT Information is a HIMSS publication.
