A panel convened by the Network for Excellence in Health Innovation and Prescriptions for a Healthy America is urging health IT policymakers to sharpen their focus on medication adherence.
The end goal, the panel notes in a press statement, is improving patient health and achieving cost savings in the U.S. healthcare system. The two highest priorities for HIT, the panel said in a press statement, should be providing electronic access to accurate medication lists and complete drug formulary information for prescribing physicians.
[See also: Health IT could help with medication adherence, saving billions-study-finds.]
Just as important, the panel wrote, "Users and patients should redouble efforts to win a realignment of payment priorities that will support utilization of numerous HIT capabilities that already exist but are lying dormant."
"There is room in HIT policy for specific priorities that will sharpen the focus on patient medication adherence," said NEHI Executive Director Valerie Fleishman, in a statement, "but our panel also made clear that much can be done to exploit existing HIT capabilities and existing sources of data that are not being utilized for lack of payment support."
[See also: mHealth apps help with medication adherence.]
NEHI and Prescriptions for a Healthy America hosted the roundtable "Connected Health, Better Adherence" Jan. 31 at the Pew Conference Center in Washington. The roundtable explored the potential of HIT to improve patient care, outcomes, safety and to lower costs through improved medication management and adherence.
