Sorry I posted this under the wrong article earlier...
This article nicely highlighted the concerns with transitions in medical care and the use of 'medication reconciliation' in hospitals to track prescription medications. The most important point made was regarding the lack of a network between community providers and hospitals. In Rochester, a new network has been created, called RHIO, which links electronic medical records and allows physicians all over the region to access information. This is ideal in a city of Rochester's size, but how should we address the same problem in major metropolitan areas with much larger networks of providers? It seems that what methods we use now, such as medication reconciliation, has not been properly evaluated. In order to reduce medical errors, more HSR should be done on this important topic.
Medication reconciliation is something very important but equally hard to perform. My experience in different settings has been that an administrator comes up with a very specific plan concerning medical reconciliation which is very cumbersome to the end user. The result is inevitably that med rec is rarely done (we achieved about 50% when I was in Oklahoma). I would agree that RHIO is the best system I have seen so far. One downside I have noticed that it will keep medications that the patient is no longer taking. The provider is supposed to go through medications in the record and discontinue the medications that the patient is no longer taking. This doesn't happen most of the time due to time constraints and/or other factors. There has to be an easier, better way.
I would also agree that HSR needs to be done about this topic. Someone should address the barriers to medication reconciliation from the perspective of patients and providers. This is an area in need of an intervention that has a chance at success (Carte Vitale?).
Sorry I posted this under the wrong article earlier...
ReplyDeleteThis article nicely highlighted the concerns with transitions in medical care and the use of 'medication reconciliation' in hospitals to track prescription medications. The most important point made was regarding the lack of a network between community providers and hospitals. In Rochester, a new network has been created, called RHIO, which links electronic medical records and allows physicians all over the region to access information. This is ideal in a city of Rochester's size, but how should we address the same problem in major metropolitan areas with much larger networks of providers? It seems that what methods we use now, such as medication reconciliation, has not been properly evaluated. In order to reduce medical errors, more HSR should be done on this important topic.
Medication reconciliation is something very important but equally hard to perform. My experience in different settings has been that an administrator comes up with a very specific plan concerning medical reconciliation which is very cumbersome to the end user. The result is inevitably that med rec is rarely done (we achieved about 50% when I was in Oklahoma).
ReplyDeleteI would agree that RHIO is the best system I have seen so far. One downside I have noticed that it will keep medications that the patient is no longer taking. The provider is supposed to go through medications in the record and discontinue the medications that the patient is no longer taking. This doesn't happen most of the time due to time constraints and/or other factors. There has to be an easier, better way.
I would also agree that HSR needs to be done about this topic. Someone should address the barriers to medication reconciliation from the perspective of patients and providers. This is an area in need of an intervention that has a chance at success (Carte Vitale?).