AHRQ Identifies Gaps in Study of Medication Management HIT

Health researchers have studied the role of health information technology (HIT) in medication management and agree that medication management health information technology (MMIT) holds promise for improving medication administration processes. But, according to Enabling Medication Management Through Health Information Technology, a new study from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ), which was based on a review of professional literature from 428 articles, few studies have examined clinical, economic and sustainability issues related to MMIT tools.

AHRQ defines medication management as a continuum that covers all aspects of prescription medications, including prescribing and ordering; order transmission between prescribers and pharmacists; dispensing, administering, and monitoring; and reconciliation, adherence, and education. MMIT applications include electronic systems that collect, process, or exchange health information about patients; are integrated with existing HIT systems such as electronic health records (EHR); and provide advice or suggestions to either the health care provider or the patients and their families on issues or decisions related to medication management.

According to Modern Healthcare, almost 200 studies reviewed by AHRQ researchers addressed the role of e-prescribing in medication management. While the studies indicate there is substantial evidence that “care processes such as medication errors, time for tasks, workflow and knowledge, skills and attitudes can be improved” with the use of technology, most studies focused primarily on physician use of MMIT and few studies evaluated clinical outcomes associated with the use of MMIT. The report recommends that more studies be conducted to evaluate use of MMIT by pharmacists, mental health professionals, nurses and other non-physician prescribers, as well as by patients and their caregivers.

The AHRQ report makes several references to the fact that MMIT in long-term care settings has not been studied adequately.

“Gaps exist in our knowledge of the effectiveness of MMIT in long-term care facilities, the community, and homes,” reports AHRQ. “Long-term care facilities most need strong qualitative and quantitative studies because they rely heavily on medication. Homes, schools, and other community settings will also become more important with shifting care to more self-reliance in relation to wellness care and chronic disease management.”